Noah Lyles, the reigning world champion in both the 100m and 200m, had a shaky start to his Olympic journey, finishing second in his opening heat on Saturday. Despite the sluggish start, Lyles managed to secure his spot in the semifinals, keeping his hopes of a sprint double alive.
His time of 10.04 seconds was just 0.06 seconds behind Louie Hinchliffe, a British sprinter who is being coached by the legendary Carl Lewis. This second-place finish means Lyles will not have the advantage of the premier lane choice when he races in the semifinals on Sunday.
However, if he manages to advance from the semifinals, he will be in contention for the gold medal in the final race later that evening.
Lyles acknowledged the challenge ahead, stating, “It is difficult. I downplayed my competitors for sure. I was like, ‘there’s no reason to really put any emphasis on it.’ But these guys proved to me that they’re ready to compete. I said ‘alright, I can’t do that anymore.’ I promise that will not happen again.”
Other athletes who advanced from the early heats include Kishane Thompson of Jamaica, who won his heat in 10 seconds flat after jogging the last 20 meters; Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, who won his heat in 10.08 seconds; and Oblique Seville of Jamaica, who won his heat in 9.99 seconds. Notably, Seville has already defeated Lyles in a race earlier this year in Jamaica.
The 100m semifinals will take place on Sunday, with the final race for the gold medal scheduled for the same evening. With his sights set on the sprint double, Lyles will be hoping to overcome his sluggish start and secure a spot in the final.
