Despite Being Uncrowned King of Track, Noah Lyles Loses to American Legend’s Iconic World Championship Time

In the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Noah Lyles clinched the 100m victory and stood atop the podium. The track sensation ended up beating the likes of Letsile Tebogo and Zharnel Hughes to clinch gold. Lyles’ 9.83 seconds time in Budapest was not only his 100m personal best but also the fastest 100m time of 2023. He also shares this year’s 100m world lead with Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and Team USA’s teammate Christian Coleman.

Hughes recorded his 9.83 time at the NYC Grand Prix in June 2023, when he ended up smashing Linford Christie’s 30-year British record. Coleman’s 9.83 came recently in Xiamen where he defeated Kishane Thompson and 2022 100m world champion Fred Kerley.

However, despite Lyles, Coleman, and Hughes setting 2023’s men’s 100m world-leading time, their shared 9.83 seconds time still falls short upon comparing with the past 100m times. In fact, this year’s 9.83 seconds is the slowest men’s 100m world lead time since 2004, despite it being Noah Lyles’ personal best in the 100m discipline.

Noah Lyles’ personal best records a low place in history books

The 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest was dominated by Noah Lyles. At the end of the competition, the track sensation walked away with a hat trick of gold medals. His 100m time of 9.83 seconds secured his first gold medal and was also his personal best time in the discipline. But upon comparison, his personal best was the lowest time since 2004, excluding the 2020 COVID season. Last year, Fred Kerley ran 9.76 in Eugene, while a year before in 2021, American track runner Trayvon Bromell also ran the same time in Nairobi. Only during the 2020 COVID season, Michael Norman ran 9.86, which was slower than Noah Lyles’ personal best of 9.83 seconds.

Lyles’ fellow teammate Christian Coleman ran the fastest 100m times in 2019, 2018, and 2017, with his 9.76, 9.79, and 9.82 respectively. Similarly, Justin Gatlin dominated in 2016, 2015, and 2014, with the fastest 100m times of 9.80, 9.74, and 9.77 respectively. The world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, led the fastest 100m times in 2013, 2012, and 2011 when the Jamaican ran 9.77, 9.63, and 9.76 respectively.

Tyson Gay recorded 2010’s fastest 100m time with his 9.78 seconds run. Usain Bolt set the 100m world record with his 100m fastest run of 2009 when he ran 9.58 seconds in Berlin. He also set the fastest time in 2008 with 9.69 seconds. 2007, 2006, and 2005 were dominated by Jamaican Asafa Powell, who recorded 9.74, 9.77, and 9.77 respectively. Lyles who specializes in the 200m event had already made tall claims about his personal best and chasing Bolt’s records before the world championship in Budapest.

When the American track star made bold predictions about his future

Before the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Noah Lyles had claimed that he envisions shattering Usain Bolt’s 200m world record and hopes to run a personal best in the 100m event soon. He has also claimed earlier that he aims to run the 200m event in 19.10 and the 100m event in 9.65 seconds.

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According to an Olympics report, Lyles said, “I’m a firm believer in speaking things into existence.” His exact mark may not have come true, but Lyles did end up setting a personal best in the 100m when he won gold in Budapest with his 9.83 second world-leading time.

As for the 200m event in Budapest, Lyles wasn’t able to run his expected time or break the world record, but he still ended up dominating the event with a 19.51-second finish. 

Noah Lyles may have run his personal best in the 100m, but he still has a long way to go if he wants to achieve a world record. However, recent competitions have showcased that the American track star is on the right track and, in time, the track and field world can see more exciting runs from the world champion.

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