Remember the stare Noah Lyles and Oblique Seville shared a few minutes ago? In the Racer’s Grand Prix, the Jamaican shared a similar feat while defeating his American rival. Today, he did the same. The only difference is that Noah also stared back at him. So don’t be surprised if they exchange fiery looks at each other while jumping over the finishing line a few minutes after the final information about the lanes has been released.
With little surprise, Noah Lyles will start beside Oblique Seville (Lane 6) in Lane 7. Kishane Thompson, his biggest rival tonight, will start the race in Lane 4, breathing on another firebrand athlete’s neck, Fred Kerley, who will be in Lane 3. However, Kerley will start with his compatriot, Kenny Bednarek, who will grace lane 2. But among all these, where will stand the defending 100m Olympic champion?
Lane assignments for the men's 100m final in Paris!🔥🔥
This is a must watch. https://t.co/36lAfTVkKy pic.twitter.com/KobqT3rhTP
— Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) August 4, 2024
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Today, Lamont Marcell Jacobs took 9.92 seconds to make his place in the final 8. However, the Italian speedster will have to start in lane 9. He will find the 300m world record holder and the world championship medalist, Letsile Tebogo, on his left side, in lane 8. Yet, the staring episode between Oblique Seville and Noah Lyles will keep the temperature high at the final today. They might also be remembering the aftermath of staring at the National Stadium in Kingston.
The defeat and the sharing of glances toward each other did not leave a happy mark on the six-time world champion that day, who will be in his second Olympic final today. Later, in his several interviews, Noah mentioned that he would stay ready for his next encounter with Oblique to return the courtesy. Furthermore, on X, he shared the snap where Oblique Seville could be seen staring at him just before crossing the finishing line. The 27-year-old captioned the snap, saying, “Oh yah… I’ll remember this! See you in Paris @ObliqueSeville.” Following today’s semi-finals, Noah Lyles will have an opportunity to showcase his skills against his Jamaican competitor. But what is the probability of him?
Noah Lyles will head into the most-stacked field ever
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This is the first time in the men’s 100m sprint history at the Olympics that no athlete could find a place with sub-10 timing. That was the preliminary case for the upcoming competition. Furthermore, the purple Mondo track in Stade de France has been made, giving each athlete a similar facility. How?
As per the track officials, the Mondo track has better flooring in terms of resilience compared to the Tokyo Olympics. So, a better speed could be achieved in the final. And who does not know that the men’s 100m final is all about sheer pace? They have said that the crown of the men’s 100m Olympic winner is the hardest to bear. Therefore, it is time to watch who is ready to take that crown or whether the Italian superstar keeps it; he won it three years ago in the Japanese capital.