“We Had a False Start”: Noah Lyles Addresses Overcoming Abrupt Incident at US Olympic Track and Field Trials 2024

Hayward Field, Eugene- That’s where Noah Lyles finished second at the Prefontaine Classic in the 100m in September 2023. Christian Coleman had tasted ultimate victory within just 9.83 seconds. While Coleman flexed every muscle in his body and screamed to show his dominance, Lyles made silent notes. And the result is now evident. At the same Hayward Field, the 26-year-old cruised to victory (100m). He will go to the 2024 Paris Olympics while Coleman won’t. Lyles’s 9.83 seconds, Kenny Bednarek’s 9.87, and Fred Kerley’s 9.88 secured their Olympic tickets.

However, a fumble took place in the first round of the men’s 100-meter dash, and a heart was broken. For Oregon’s very own Cravon Gillespie, his false start at the US Track and Field Olympic Team Trials led to his disqualification from the men’s 100m.

But Noah Lyles seemed to have prepared for such scenarios beforehand and finished the race in 9.92 seconds. After winning, Lyles was heard talking to Lewis Johnson of NBC about how he prepared in advance to avoid making the same mistake as his colleague.“We had a false start there, it’s funny,” chuckled Lyles in a post-race interview as he noted how his coaches advised him to stay calm in case of a mistake ahead of the race. “Reset, walk slow, don’t worry about anything (Noah was told), and that’s what I did,” Noah Lyles was heard saying.

The second Gillespie started running, he realized it was a false start. His frustration was clearly visible as he stomped his foot and scrunched up his face.

Final Results for USA:
1. Noah Lyles- 9.83
2. Kenny Bednarek- 9.87
3. Fred Kerley- 9.88
4. Christian Coleman- 9.93
5. Christian Miller- 9.98
6. Courtney Lindsey- 10.02
7. Brandon Hicklin- 10.03
8. Kendal Williams- 10.04
9. JT Smith- 10.22

But getting back to Lyles, despite his own triumphs, the athlete didn’t forget that one of his peers had just squandered the opportunity to compete in the French capital with hopes of clinching gold. Right after the race finished, the reigning men’s 100m world champion was seen talking to Gillespie, possibly in an attempt to ease the pangs of sadness that the latter was experiencing. Noah Lyles knows what heartbreak feels like.

When Noah Lyles battled his own demons!

While Lyles may have impressed everyone, he has fought battles others can’t see. Depression has been the main culprit, plaguing the young track-and-field star with negative thoughts ever since his performance at the Tokyo Olympics. Failing to qualify for the men’s 100m race and leaving the Japanese capital with only a bronze in the 200m sprint, Lyles was convinced that he might not be as good as he had thought.

He even admitted that 2021 wasn’t the best year of his life. However, he didn’t remain stagnant. Instead, he has been steadily improving his skills ever since. While aspects like pulling off a perfect start are obviously important, Lyles’s focus has remained the same. To improve in his signature 100m events, he has competed in more 60m races than before. In these races, he demonstrated his skill by going toe-to-toe with athletes like Christian Coleman, the world record holder in the event.

Some of Noah Lyles’s personal bests are as follows:

As Lyles looks to carry his momentum into the men’s 100m final and other events in the coming days, do you believe his prospects are bright enough? Let us know what you think in the comments.