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PARIS. – American Noah Lyles will bring his “main character energy” to the Stade de France today as he begins his quest for the Olympic sprint double in the men’s 100 metres heats.
The affable showman of the track has only added to his fame since winning double world gold in Budapest last year, starring in the popular Netflix docu-series “SPRINT”, and wants the spotlight to himself in the blue-riband event in Paris.
He failed qualify for the shorter sprint at the Olympics three years ago and won bronze in the 200 – his signature event – before embarking on a period of self-reflection.
“As I go into these Games on the biggest stage in the world, I am saying to myself, ‘I’ve been through the hardest parts, been at the bottom, fought my way back up and fixed the weaknesses’,” said Lyles.
Lyles clocked 9.81 seconds to win at the London Diamond League meeting in his final Olympic tune-up event last month, a promising sign for American fans.
While most bookmakers would put him as a strong favourite in the longer sprint – he has not lost a 200 metres race since Tokyo – he could face a tougher road in the 100, as he takes on young challengers from the United States’ arch-rival Jamaica.
Oblique Seville handed him his only 100 loss of the season in Kingston in June and Kishane Thompson set the world leading mark of 9.77 at the Jamaica team trials.
That duo will be hungry to get their country back to the top of the podium eight years after retired great Usain Bolt last took the gold.
While the defending Olympic champion would typically command a decent share of the spotlight, Italian Lamont Marcell Jacobs has rarely been a factor on the track following a series of injuries since his shock win in Tokyo three years ago.
Instead, Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala appeared on everyone’s radar when he won his national trials in 9.79, while Lyles’ compatriots Kenny Bednarek and Tokyo silver medallist Fred Kerley remain perennial contenders.
Bednarek, who took silver in the 200 three years ago and put down a season’s best 9.87 in the 100 in June, said his work ethic would show up on the track. – SuperSport
Online Reporter