Noah Lyles, Not Bolt, Targets Jamaican Rival at Eugene Diamond League 2023

• Track and field

Noah Lyles has been steadily ascending the ladders of track glory, consistently placing himself among the greats like Usain Bolt. Securing a 200m world championship gold medal in Budapest, he joins the elite rank shared only by Bolt and Allyson Felix, becoming one of the few to clinch three consecutive 200m world titles.

Lyles' versatility is further illuminated by his feat of winning both 100m and 200m in a single world championship event, a distinction last achieved by Bolt in 2015. Although Bolt has long hung up his spikes, Lyles' supremacy in sprinting seemed unchallenged.

But a wind of competition blew during the recent Xiamen Diamond League 100m event, hinting at a Jamaican star on the rise. Post his staggering success of triple gold at the world championship, Lyles jetted off to Zurich for the Diamond League.

There, he championed the 200m race, though not without a scuffle towards the finish line from Erriyon Knighton. Lyles sealed his victory with a time of 19.80 seconds, just a hair faster than Knighton's 19.87 seconds. Notably, Lyles, who has an affinity for the 200m, still marked the year's fastest 100m with a blistering 9.83 seconds in Budapest.

However, as Zurich celebrated Lyles' victory, eyes were riveted on the Xiamen's 100m event. There, Kishane Thompson of Jamaica dazzled with an impressive 9.85 seconds finish, not only breaking his own personal record of 9.91 seconds but also surpassing Jamaica’s fastest time for the year.

This stellar performance has ranked Thompson as the sixth fastest Jamaican ever, foreshadowing intense future races with Lyles. Yet, the spotlight didn’t solely shine on Thompson. Christian Coleman of the U.S., with a comeback 9.83 seconds run in Xiamen, now jointly holds this year's fastest 100m time alongside world champion Lyles.

Only days before, in Budapest, Coleman had to settle for fifth place. The 2022 100m world champion, Fred Kerley, also stood out with his third-place finish at 9.96 seconds. The recent exploits of Coleman and Thompson underscore that they are formidable contenders for Lyles.

Track and field enthusiasts might be in for a treat if Lyles faces off against these sprinters in the upcoming Diamond League finals in Eugene. If not, the trio's electrifying showdown is almost guaranteed at next year's Paris event, setting the stage for a new era of sprinting rivalries.