SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — All the overhead shots and race replays tell the same story. Noah Lyles only led one time during his Olympic 100-meter sprint for the ages: at the finish line.
There’s a good argument that the rest of his stay at these Paris Games won’t be anywhere near as nip-and-tuck.
With the Olympics still abuzz over his .005-second victory in the 100, Lyles didn’t have much time to rest before moving to his next event. He is a heavy favorite in the 200 meters, his better race, and a race he has not lost since the Olympic final in Tokyo three years ago, where he finished third.
He said he got about four hours of sleep after the big race, after which he returned to the track Monday, where he won the opening heat in the 200 in 20.19 seconds.
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After winning Olympic thriller by a whisker, Noah Lyles looks for an encore in his favorite event
Lyles’ willingness — make that, desire — to be the front man for a sport that yearns for new fans feels like a game-changer to Seb Coe, the World Athletics president who called Sunday’s race “if not perfect, about as close to perfect as you can get.”