Noah Lyles stormed to victory in the men's 100m final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Sunday, clocking 9.83 seconds to claim his first world title in the event. The American, primarily known as a 200m specialist, overcame a slow start to power past his rivals and cement his status as the world's top sprinter.
Lyles, who will defend his 200m crown later this week, had only just qualified for the 100m after battling Covid before the US nationals. Despite scepticism from defending champion Fred Kerley, who failed to reach the final, Lyles delivered a commanding performance from lane six. He was fourth at the halfway mark but surged ahead to win, embracing fellow American Christian Coleman, the 2019 champion who finished fifth.
Botswana's Letsile Tebogo took silver in 9.87 seconds, becoming the first African man to win a world championship medal in the 100m. Great Britain's Zharnel Hughes claimed bronze with the same time, edging out Tebogo by one thousandth of a second. It was Britain's first individual 100m medal at the worlds in 20 years.
Hughes, 28, expressed his delight after a long wait for a global medal. “All these years of lessons, tribulations, of patience, I stuck to it,” he said. “I had self-belief and trust in speed, my coach, and it’s all come together at last.” Tebogo dedicated his medal to Botswana and Africa, saying the continent had been “thirsting for a medal” in the sprint.
Lyles, who has been open about his mental health struggles, now sets his sights on the 200m final on Friday, where he aims to break Usain Bolt's world record of 19.19 seconds. He has also signed a deal for a Netflix series, seeking to boost the sport's profile in the post-Bolt era.
