Let’s rewind to the weeks leading up to the London Diamond League. Noah Lyles hadn’t lined up in a major race all season. Since April, he’d been nursing an ankle injury, and his race log showed it: just a few indoor 60m sprints, a leg in a 4×100m relay, and an out-of-character 400m. Hardly ideal prep for a world-class 200m showdown. “I don’t see Noah ever beating Letsile ever again in the 200m. 9-race streak? We will be there when Letsile Tebogo breaks hearts,” This was a comment from a track and field enthusiast, and many resonated with likes. Noah Lyles was being doubted, and then we know what unfolded.
The 100m Olympic gold medalist entered the Monaco DL as a different beast. He was jacked, muscular, and probably faster. The world watched as Letsile Tebogo exploded out of the blocks, matching Lyles stride for stride through the curve. But in the final 50m, Lyles surged ahead, gradually pulling away and finishing strong, securing the win in 19.88s. The win sent a message loud enough to echo past his eventual loss in London. Even after that defeat, one track and field coach remains confident: Noah Lyles is still the man to beat at the World Championships. Here’s what he had to say.
“I’m going to go out on a limb and say if you were behind Noah in this field, you ain’t never getting ahead of him when we get to Worlds. Like, if this is how he’s opening, because this is as rusty as he’s going to be in the 100. I don’t think you’re going to beat him. Just saying. Again, I could be wrong, but I doubt it,” said track and field coach Rob in his latest YouTube video aired on July 18, 2025. Lyles could not go sub-10 in the London DL, yet he finished second in the most competitive field there could have been (Akani Simbine, Letsile Tebogo, Oblique Seville).
This is how the field in the world championships would most probably look, and if they could defeat him here, would they defeat him there? Taking this into context, Rob said, “But now that we know what type of form Noah is starting from, he’ll be fine by the time we get to Worlds. I have no expectation that anybody’s going to keep him out of that final. And it’s hard for me to believe that three people can keep him off of the podium.” So, Noah Lyles is flying to America from Tokyo in September with a medal; the question is just which one.
Image via Imago
Rob himself agreed on the doubts people have about Noah winning gold in September. He talked about how people are drawn to the mystique around Noah Lyles, his reputation, and the hype. And yeah, fans want to see those blazing fast times, he does too. But he reminded everyone, almost with a hint of disappointment, that this isn’t the Usain Bolt era anymore. That time has passed. Kishane Thompson clocked 19.75s, coming close to Justin Gatlin’s 10-year-old 19.74s. Speaks for itself how the speed has changed over the years. Rob had used that record to send a warning to Noah before.
“Noah Lyles takes care of business in the big race,” he said. Also noting, he said that the Olympian has figured out how to hit the line first, and at the end of the day, that’s what this sport is really about. Sure, people might wish the times were faster, but for Rob, it’s the winning that matters most. And Noah Lyles? He’s a winner. He concluded with, “So, he didn’t win this race, but he normally doesn’t win these types of races, you know, earlier in the year, which, you know, kind of goes back to the point.”
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, in Round 1 of the men’s 100 m, Noah Lyles clocked 10.04s but finished second in his heat behind Louie Hinchliffe. We all know what unfolded in the finals. Even after losing the London Dl, there is no such regret for Lyles.
Noah Lyles is looking at the positives
Heading into the London Diamond League, fans had their pick. But the race didn’t go quite as expected. Oblique Seville exploded out of the blocks and surged to an emphatic 9.86s victory in the men’s 100m, building a two‑metre lead within the first 20 meters. Meanwhile, Noah, competing in his 100 m season opener, finished strong for second in 10.00s. But instead of sulking over the loss, he focused on the good parts of it. “I mean, I feel great. I feel extremely healthy. Like, I have no pain. Feel like we can run another one. Like, this is exactly how you want to feel,“ he said in the interview with Runnerspace after the run.
Credits: Imago
“But yeah, you’re right. Of course, I want the win, but I’m going to take—I mean, I think that’s my fastest season opener in the 100, so I’ll take that, too,” he continued. This was his best 100m season opener; before this, it was 10.1s in the Tom Jones Invitational last year. When asked what was going through his mind during the race, he admitted that seeing Oblique Seville ahead was a mental challenge. He told himself not to let it affect him, to stay composed and focus on reeling him in bit by bit, as he would in any race.
“And then, of course, there’s the moment where you cross the line. You’re like, well, I didn’t get it this time. But the important thing was to not panic, to make sure that I hit all my positions regardless of him being out there and saying, no matter what, I can still hold my head in a high-pressure situation,” he said. Share your thoughts on Lyles’ season opener in the comment box!
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