The pendulum swings to Paris swiftly and momentously, but Noah Lyles is racking up wins much before that! Well, the London Diamond League will take place on 20th July, just six days before the Olympics commence, and Lyles is diving right in. But why would he gamble on racing 100m so close to the Olympics, as in he can get injured (fingers crossed he stays injury-free)? We have seen many athletes who withdrew before the Paris Olympics because of the injury such as Elaine Thompson, Wayde van Niekerk, Eldose Paul, Oksana Chusovitina, Gabby Douglas, and more, but why is Lyles taking the plunge?

It seems he’s gunning to hit his peak form before the big event, aiming to outshine his Jamaican rivals, who have run faster than Lyles this year in 100m. You know who I’m talking about, right? Kishane Thompson, Ferdinand Omanyala, and Oblique Seville.

Noah Lyles has set his season best at 9.83 seconds, but Kishane Thompson holds a faster record at 9.77 seconds (a notable margin, given Thompson’s personal best as well). Ferdinand Omanyala comes in at 9.79 seconds, and Oblique Seville at 9.82 seconds (shockingly close to Lyles’ mark). To surpass all of them, Lyles must outstrip only Thompson’s time to lead this year, despite the former’s personal best also being 9.83 seconds.

But here’s the twist: Neither Thompson nor Lyles’ other Jamaican rivals are competing in the London Diamond League. Nevertheless, Lyles still faces a strong field in the Diamond League. The competition is as tough as nails, but can Noah Lyles step up to the plate, seize victory, and make the season the best?

So, the biggest threats to Lyles in the Diamond League 100m race include Letsile Tebogo from Botswana, Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain, South Africa’s Akani Simbine, and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake, alongside Louie Hinchcliffe. They all pose a strong challenge and are proud flag-bearers for their nations, each having made their mark in history, whether recently or in the past.

Letsile Tebogo, the 100m World Championship silver medalist from Africa, proved on June 12 that Africans can be sprinters and robust competitors in the Monaco Diamond League. Letsile Tebogo was the sole runner to dip under 20 seconds, winning the men’s 200-meter race with a time of 19.87 seconds. His personal best in the 100m is 9.88 seconds, while his season best is 9.99 seconds. He even once said, “I am not part of the team that is chasing the world record. For now, it’s just about keeping on rolling.” And he definitely is!

Zharnel Hughes, a 100m World Championship bronze medalist, proves that age is just a number at 29, defying expectations with his immense willpower. He’s celebrated as Britain’s fastest man and will be competing in both the 100m and 200m events, as well as the 4×100 relay team at Paris. Hughes eagerly anticipates the Olympics, stating, “The Olympics is what I’m looking forward to most, and when we get down there, there’ll be fireworks.” Despite sharing a 9.83s personal best in the 100m with Noah Lyles, Hughes’ season bests stand at 10.9s in the 100m and 19.96s in the 200m.

Akani Simbine, a two-time Olympic finalist and former African record holder in the 100 meters with a time of 9.84 seconds set from July 2021 until September of that year, is gearing up for the Paris Olympics with a new strategy. Simbine remarked earlier, “I’m just taking a different approach to it this time.” His confidence signals his ambition to shine as Africa’s flag bearer on the Olympic stage. However, while he holds a personal best of 9.84 seconds in the 100m, his season best stands at 9.94 seconds.

Ackeem Blake, a 22-year-old 1x World Championships bronze medalist and 1x World Indoor Championships competitor, is also a cut above the rest with his own embellishments. His best is 9.89 in the 100m and his season best stands at 9.92 seconds.

Great Britain’s Louie Hinchcliffe, 21, is 1x NCAA champion and 1x national champion. He will proudly represent his nation in the Men’s 100m at Paris 2024 after securing the British title in Manchester last month. Earlier he remarked, “I just want to leave there with no regrets. It should be fine.“ However, his personal best in the 100m also is 9.95 seconds. But among all of them, Lyles’s biggest competitor will be Kishane Thompson But how?

Noah Lyles vs. Kishane Thompson – A tight race to the finish line

The competition, for the gold medal in the 100-meter at the Paris Olympics between Kishane Thompson and Noah Lyles is locked in a tight battle. While Lyles made headlines with his 9.83-second victory at the 2023 World Athletics Championships since then he has faced challenges in surpassing that performance. However, his achievement of a time of 6.43 seconds in the 60 meters this February shows that he is making progress and getting ready, for the race.

Kishane Thompson has recently gained attention by running 9.77 seconds at the Jamaican Olympic Trials month. At 22 years old, Thompsons’ quick rise, in the world of sprinting was highlighted by his breakthrough sub-10 second performance in 2023. Despite Lyles’s age advantage of being 26, Thompson’s current form indicates that he will be a competitor, in Paris, where Lyles hopes to end America’s spell in the 100 meters last achieved by Justin Gatlin in 2004.

As these athletes gear up for the Olympics, the question lingers whether any of them can come close to Usain Bolt’s legendary Olympic record of 9.63 seconds. While matching such a feat seems like chasing a rainbow, the stage is set for a riveting and high-stakes competition in Paris, where each sprinter aims to leave a lasting mark on Olympic history. What is your take on it?