World Athletics Championships: ’Kept believing I was the fastest man,’ says Noah Lyles

Lyles, who already has two world 200m titles and will go for a third in Budapest, clocked 9.83sec—equalling the fastest 100m time of the season—for victory on Sunday

World Athletics Championships: 'Kept believing I was the fastest man,' says Noah Lyles

Noah Lyles after his win at Budapest on Sunday. Pic/AFP

Noah Lyles says he hopes his victory in the 100m at the World Athletics Championships will be the “start of a dynasty” as he bids to become the first man to achieve a world sprint double since Usain Bolt in 2015.

Lyles, who already has two world 200m titles and will go for a third in Budapest, clocked 9.83sec—equalling the fastest 100m time of the season—for victory on Sunday. In a perfectly-timed piece of sprinting, the 26-year-old kept his nerve after a quick start by teammate Christian Coleman to outstrip a field deprived of defending champion Fred Kerley and Olympic gold medallist Marcell Jacobs after both failed to make the final. “The goal was to make sure I was the first to 60 metres, then do Noah Lyles things, use my topping speed,” Lyles said of his race strategy.

“When I got there, I believed I was the fastest guy and I kept believing that until I crossed the line.” The American has made his name over 200m rather than the shorter sprint, but vowed that that would now be altered. “Last year made this the right year” to target the 100m, he said.

“After having such a strong hold on the 200m it really freaked me out to be, like, OK no matter where I am in the season I can go back to the 200m and it will be fast. Now it’s only a matter of time of continuously working on the 100m, the worst part of my race and getting it faster. It’s now about running faster 100s to make the first 100m of the 200m a faster time. The craziest thing is that we’ve got so much more to improve on and that’s a scary thought,” he added.

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