Noah Lyles announces first 100m race of the year
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Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 17.07.25. | 16:13
The race will mark a major step in his build-up to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September
Olympic champion Noah Lyles has confirmed his return to the 100m distance for the first time this year. He will be lining up at the London Diamond League on Saturday, 19 July.
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The race will mark a major step in his build-up to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.
Lyles, who stormed to 100m gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a blistering 9.79 seconds, has endured an injury-hit season that has limited his appearances on the track.
Until recently, his only race this year came back in April when he clocked 45.87 over 400m at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational.
He later pulled out of the Adidas Atlanta City Games in May, where he had been slated to compete against Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala.
Omanyala went on to claim the spotlight in that race with a record-shattering 14.70 seconds in the 150m, breaking both the African and Kenyan records.
After months of recovery and training, Lyles made a dramatic return at the Monaco Diamond League on Friday, 11 July, where he competed in the 200m for the first time since 2023.
In a race that reignited one of sprinting’s hottest rivalries, he edged out Botswana's Letsile Tebogo with a commanding 19.88 to 19.97 win.
Now, the two sprint stars are set for another head-to-head showdown, this time over 100m. The race will serve as a high-stakes rematch of their Paris Olympic final, where Lyles took gold and Tebogo finished sixth.
The American sprint king will face a stacked field in London. Joining him on the start line are Tebogo, South African record-holder Akani Simbine, Jamaican speedsters Oblique Seville (fresh off a 9.83 in Kingston) and Ackeem Blake, as well as a strong British contingent led by World 100m bronze medalist Zharnel Hughes, NCAA champion Louie Hinchliffe, and European Indoor 60m champion Jeremiah Azu.
While Lyles enters the race with the title of reigning Olympic champion and the momentum of a recent 200m win, questions remain about his sharpness in the 100m, having not raced the distance competitively since Paris last year.
In contrast, Tebogo has been actively competing throughout the season and remains a strong threat, especially with his versatile range from 100m up to 400m.
Still, Lyles’s presence in London signals serious intent. After dominating the global stage last year and navigating a cautious return from injury, he will now aim to remind the world that he is still the man to beat, especially in his signature race.
