Go back this past winter, says Noah Lyles, to understand how he ended up wearing a gold medal at the U.S. Olympic trials late on Sunday night.
He competed in three 60-meter indoor events within a one-month period in February and March. He thinks they had a major role in helping him get a spot in the Olympics for the first time in the 100 meters, which has traditionally been considered his second-best race.
“That was the goal [at trials]: Win from the 60 meters each time,” Lyles stated. “That’s why I did so many 60s indoor. I was preparing, getting faster and faster each time.”
Late in Sunday’s 100-meter final, Lyles picked up such pace that, just meters from the finish line, he lifted his right arm high into the pre-dusk sky and gestured to the heavens in an early sign of celebration.
He had a startling awareness that he would finally be competing for Olympic gold in the event, having had a lackluster performance in it at the previous U.S. trials. His performance of seventh place in the Tokyo Games trials three years prior disqualified him from competing in the 100 meters; instead, he was only allowed to compete in the 200 meters and the 4×100-meter relay.
Lyles finished in first place on Sunday with a time of 9.83 seconds, slightly ahead of the two American guys, Kenny Bednarek (9.87 seconds) and Fred Kerley (9.88 seconds), who will compete in the 100 meters with him in Paris. It’s each of the three’s second time competing at the Olympics.
“It’s go time,” declared Kerley, the Tokyo Games silver medallist in the 100 meters. “Hey, the season started today. So it’s only up and forward.”
Similar to Lyles, Bednarek has dedicated this year to dispelling the misconception that he is merely a 200-meter runner. His silver medal on Sunday demonstrated that he is capable of handling the shorter dash.
“Yeah, I’ll finally call myself a ‘hundred-meter man’ now, but I always knew I had this in me,” remarked Bednarek. “It was just a matter of time of when I was going to make the team. Last few years I was dealing with stuff, but this year I was healthy and I’ve always said a healthy me is a dangerous me.”
Bednarek and Lyles both placed second and third in the 200 meters at the past Olympics, supporting the theory that they were both superior in that event than in the 100.
To demonstrate his 100-meter skill, Lyles had to train for the trials races differently. All of his 60-meter indoor entries were focused on that.
“When I came out here, it was like, ‘I’m one of the fastest in the field. I mean, there’s only one other guy faster than me in the 60, so I’m going to take care of business each time,'” Lyles declared as he got ready for his three 100-meter heats this weekend.
“So when I finally got to the finals, it’s like, ‘Alright, we’re not only going to win from the 60, we’re going to keep going.’ Let’s see what we do from that point, and every step I took it felt correct, and I felt well in my positions. We got into the acceleration phase, my hips came through and I didn’t feel like I had to press very hard.”
Lyles led his group through Saturday’s preliminary round in 9.92 seconds, and in the semifinals, he blasted to a wind-assisted 9.80 seconds. He then equaled his personal best from the global championships held last summer in the final.
“I’d say from this week, I’m pretty confident [in the 100],” Lyles stated. “Every time I did a block start, there wasn’t a lot of thinking. It was kind of just doing. It was a lot closer to how I feel in the 200, which is what I’ve been waiting to feel for a very long time now. And every time I get that feeling, it makes the race that much more confident.”
This increasing self-assurance contributes to the explanation of why Lyles celebrated his major victory a little too soon. He’s reconsidering his pre-finish moves, though, as he gets ready for Thursday’s 200-meter preliminary races.
“I told myself I wasn’t going to ease up at the end, but I definitely eased up just to do a celebration,” Lyles stated. “So next time I run, no celebrations.”