Editor's note: Watch Noah Lyles compete in the men's 100-meter semifinals on Sunday.
EUGENE, Ore. — Noah Lyles' first race at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials went as expected.
With Snoop Dogg watching from the stands with his mother, Lyles easily won the 100 meters in the preliminary round. Lyles won the first round in 9.92 seconds. He was the only sprinter in the first heat to break 10 seconds. Kenny Bednarek took second place in 10.00 seconds.
Lyles told reporters after the race that his goal was to run 9.7 seconds during the trials and that “from what I've seen in training, I think we can get there.”
“It's about staying focused, facing the clock, running to win and letting my body take over,” he said, adding that he was feeling no pressure having breezily made it through the first round, where he was “running out of steam” after the 60m mark, especially as he holds the country's fastest 100m time this year.
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Olympic silver medallist Fred Curley won the second heat of the 100m. He clocked 10.03 seconds to advance to Sunday's semifinals. Christian Coleman got off to a blistering start, took an early lead and then cruised to victory in the fourth heat in 9.99 seconds.
Lyles is coming off a strong 2023 season. The 26-year-old sprinter won the 100 and 200 meters at last year's world championships and was also part of Team USA's gold medal-winning relay team.
But Lyles is looking forward to more at the trials and hopefully in Paris. “I didn't like it,” he said of his bronze medal in the 200 meters at the Tokyo Olympics — his only Olympic medal — but acknowledged it was a reminder of what he's trying to achieve now.
“I think the things I hate motivate me to keep going,” he says. “Every time I think, 'Yeah, I think I've done enough,' I turn around, see my medal, and I'm like, 'Right, let's get back to work!'”
USA TODAY Sports named Lyles one of the athletes to watch at the Olympic Trials.
Lyles and Coleman both came into the trials tied for the fastest qualifying time (9.83), with Lyles running a 9.85 this season as of Saturday, which is the third-fastest time in the world this year.
The men's 100m semifinals and final are scheduled for Sunday.
Lyles also competed in the 200 meters, considered his best event.
Contributor: Lindsay Schnell
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