EUGENE — Noah Lyles and his family got the chance to meet Snoop Dogg on Saturday. On Sunday, Lyles won gold in the 100 meters with a personal best time of 9.83 seconds, with the hip-hop legend watching.
Wearing a necklace of white pearls around his neck, Lyles once again proved himself the fastest man in the country by winning the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Lyles was running alongside the other sprinters at the 50 meter mark, but his acceleration and finish were enough to overtake his competitors.
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Lyles made it clear after his win that the second half of the race was his focus.
“Going into the final, I knew I wasn't just going to win from the 60-meter mark, I was just going to keep going and see what happens from there,” Lyles said. “Every step was precise and I positioned myself well. As I got into the acceleration phase, my hips came forward and I felt like I didn't have to exert as much force. My knees just kind of went straight into the track. They were right underneath me. Every step felt more powerful than the last one, so I thought, 'I can do this race.'”
Kenny Bednarek came in second with a personal best time of 9.87 and Fred Curley came in third with 9.88. All three will advance to the Paris Olympics to compete for the title of fastest man in the world.
Currently, Lyles holds the throne. Lyles is the current world champion in the 100 and 200 meters. Although the 200 meters is considered his strongest event, he has also shown his prowess in the 100 meters on the track.
“Just more confidence. A lot more confidence. I came out here and broke (my personal record),” Lyles said. “That's what I want going forward.”
Prior to Sunday night's final, Lyles won the preliminary round in 9.92 seconds, used wind power to win his section in the semifinals in 9.80 seconds and then qualified for the Paris Olympics with a gold-medal time of 9.83 seconds, the third-fastest time in the world this year.
The Paris Games will be Lyles' second Olympic Games. He competed in Tokyo where he won a bronze medal in the 200 meters and is determined to get revenge in Tokyo after what he describes as a tough Olympics.
Lyles will run the 200 meters on Thursday, and he is the overwhelming favorite to win the event.
“He ran a great race. He did what he was supposed to do,” Lyles' coach, Lance Brauman, told USA Today Sports after the 100 meters. “He checked off the first box. He's got one more box to check.”
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