After concluding his sprinting season at the Zurich leg of the Diamond League, Noah Lyles surprised his fans with news of his participation in the upcoming Prefontaine Classic. This event is scheduled for September 16-17 at Hayward Field, University of Oregon.
In a remarkable feat, Lyles left a lasting mark in track and field history, securing three gold medals in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4x100m relay at the 2023 World Athletic Championships, a feat achieved previously only by Usain Bolt.
In Zurich, Lyles engaged in a thrilling competition with fellow American Erriyon Knighton, narrowly clinching victory with a mere 0.07-second lead, clocking in at 19.80 seconds. Despite this triumph, Lyles announced his decision to conclude his sprinting endeavors for the remainder of 2023, citing exhaustion from back-to-back races.
Noah Lyles’ remarks
“I’m not going to lie. I’m pretty tired. It was a short turnaround, after less than a week of running.”, Lyles said.
Track Spice, a famous X (formerly Twitter) user who’s known to give the latest updates on track and field, shared this news in one post with a photo of the athlete. It was captioned as “Triple World Champion Noah Lyles ends his season after Zurich. He won’t be defending his title in the Diamond League Final in Eugene this month.”
Triple World Champion Noah Lyles ends his season after Zurich. He won’t be defending his title in Diamond League Final in Eugene this month. pic.twitter.com/EMI0xZFncj
— Track Spice 🌶️ (@trackspice) September 2, 2023
However, just days after this announcement, Lyles surprised his fans when he retracted his initial decision and posted on Instagram, announcing that he “changed his mind” and will compete in the Prefontaine Classic after all.
He also posted on Twitter, saying ““You know what… I might have another 100m in me for the year,”
You know what… I might have another 100m in me for the year 👀
— Noah Lyles, OLY (@LylesNoah) September 2, 2023
“I’m coming to @nikepreclassic. Let’s go out with a (explosion emoji).”, he added in another post.
I’m Coming to @nikepreclassic
Let’s go out with a 💥— Noah Lyles, OLY (@LylesNoah) September 5, 2023
Track Spice also posted a video on X which featured Lyles training with his coach. In the video, Lyles can be seen sprinting with a harness attached to his back. The caption of the clip reads:
“Noah Lyles back in the lab with Coach Lance Brauman for the Finals.”
Noah Lyles back in the lab with Coach @LanceBrauman for the Finals pic.twitter.com/hzrkdfMPUI
— Track Spice 🌶️ (@trackspice) September 6, 2023
If Lyles’ recent performance is any indication, the Prefontaine Classic is surely a must-see event for anyone looking to add excitement to an already thrilling season. Sha’Carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson, the two reigning sprint queens, will also compete in the said event.
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