Noah Lyles issues a clarification on why he wasn't placed next to Kishane Thompson during line up at the Silesia Diamond League

Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson recently faced off against each other at the Silesia Diamond League. While the duo's clash was touted as an ‘Olympic rematch,’ they didn't run next to each other, and Lyles recently clarified the reasoning behind their lane placement.

The men's 100m dash at the Silesia Diamond League was perhaps the most highly anticipated race of the event. Not only were fans excited to see Lyles race Thompson, they were also excited for the battle between the Olympic champion and Kenny Bednarek, given that the two have recently been involved in a feud.

On race day, Lyles ran from lane 7, with Bednarek beside him in lane 6, and Thompson competing from lane 5. In the end, it was the Jamaican who took the win, with Noah Lyles and his compatriot coming in second and third, respectively. Recently, a fan questioned why the Olympic gold and silver medalists didn't run next to each other, writing on X,

“Why is the Olympic champion not in the middle of the track? If you are touting an Olympic rematch then put them next to each other!”

Clarifying the reason behind the lane placement, Lyles responded,

“I choose 7.”

Noah Lyles, OLY

@LylesNoah

I choose 7

Lyles had also run from lane 7 in the 100m sprint at the Paris Olympics, where he outdid Kishane Thompson by a narrow margin.

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Noah Lyles reflects on his performance at the Silesia Diamond League

Lyles Athletics at the Athletics Diamond League in Poland (Image Source: Getty)

The beginning of Noah Lyles’ 2025 season was marred by an ankle injury, and his outing in Poland marked only his third 100m race of the year. Despite this, the American put on an impressive show to clock a 9.90 and outdo several racers with better season bests. Reflecting on his race at the Silesia Diamond League, Lyles told the media,

"It is a great stepping stone. I needed to see a sub-10. I needed to see winning, beating people. I took out some really big heads today, people who run 9.7, 9.8, and 9.8 lows. So, you know, winning and beating people I'd say is really the most important thing right now, getting the confidence. And again, like it's a stepping stone. It makes me really excited for not only today but next week and Tokyo.”

Up next, Noah Lyles is scheduled to return to action at the Lausanne Diamond League. The meet is scheduled to take place on August 19-20, and will feature Kishane Thompson as well as Oblique Seville.