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Noah Lyles recently took a dig at USA Track and Field’s sparse schedule. The American athlete made his 200m season opener at the Monaco Diamond League and won the race, clocking 19.88s, on Friday, July 11.
Notably, Lyles defeated Letsile Tebogo in their first meeting since the Paris Olympics last year. Before competing at the Diamond League, Lyles had participated in multiple indoor meets, a 4x400m relay, and a 400m flat. But after that, he pulled out of the scheduled 150m race at the Atlanta City Games in May , due to a “tight ankle.”
Nearly one and a half months later, he ran his first race at the Monaco Diamond League. Post-race, when asked about his decision to start his season opener in Monaco, he made a pointed comment about track and field’s sparse schedule(via Flotrack coverage presented by @tracksmithrunning and @fleetfeet). He said:
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“Well, I didn't have any other track meets to go to, you know, the only option was to go to Monaco and come here and do a Diamond League.”
Noah Lyles is the reigning 100m Olympic Champion who won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Interestingly, the point the Olympic Champion raised is valid and reflects the current state of track and field in the United States. According to multiple reports, USATF reported a $12 million deficit over 2022–23. Several major track and field meets, including the New York City Grand Prix, the Bermuda Games, and the Los Angeles Grand Prix, have been canceled for 2025.
Moreover, other series like Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track came into play to fill the gaps. But they also faced several challenges, including being shortened to a 2-day format from 3 days and canceling the final leg of the series, which was supposed to happen in Los Angeles. Noah Lyles and Sha'Carri Richardson were notable absences from the Grand Slam Track series.
Noah Lyles opens up about his season opener and defeating Olympic Champion Letsile Tebogo
Noah Lyles took bronze in the 200m at the Paris Games despite testing positive for COVID-19 before the final. Letsile Tebogo won that race. But recently in Monaco, the tables turned as Lyles beat the Olympic champion at the Diamond League.
Post-race, the 27-year-old shared his feelings about what it meant to face the Olympic champion again. He said (via Flotrack coverage presented by @tracksmithrunning and @fleetfeet):
“It’s great to be out here, throw myself in the fire and see that I still got it – one, see that I'm ready to compete with everybody else – two, and then come out healthy. This would be three. So you know I love competition, this is what I do.”
Lyles will next race at the London Diamond League on July 19. This event at the Olympic Stadium will be his 100m season opener.
