There are special athletes whose performances are must-see moments. Jamaica’s iconic Usain Bolt was that way. American Noah Lyles – who will turn just 22 in 13 days – is moving into that class.
On a warm night and against a good field in the 200 m at the IAAF Diamond League meet in Lausanne (SUI), Lyles charged through the turn and flew into the straightaway, hitting top speed with about 60 m to and ran away with a sensational victory in 19.50!
19.50! The fastest time run in seven years, moving him to no. 4 on the all-time list, with the eighth fastest time ever run:
● 19.19 Usain Bolt (JAM) ‘09
● 19.26 Yohan Blake (JAM) ‘11
● 19.30 Bolt ‘08
● 19.32 Michael Johnson (USA) ‘96
● 19.32 Bolt ‘12
● 19.40 Bolt ‘11
● 19.44 Blake ‘12
● 19.50 Noah Lyles (USA) ‘19
● 19.53 Walter Dix (USA) ‘11
● 19.54 Blake ‘12
(10 performances by five performers)
It was Lyles’s eighth career race under 20 seconds, in his eighth year of running the 200 m, vs.
● 9 for Blake, over 15 years (2005-present)
● 22 for Johnson, over 13 years (1988-2000)
● 34 for Bolt, over 16 years (2001-16)
Lyles, who lost his last 200 m race to Michael Norman, 19.70-19.72 in Rome, was delighted with his reply in Lausanne:
“The track here is burning up. I’m feeling good here. Me and my coach [Lance Brauman] have been working really hard. I know I’m running exactly what my coach wants me to run. It was a good, well executed race. It was about getting out strong. There is nothing better than seeing the accomplishments of what you have put in. Each year I’m making a huge jump. I’m very satisfied. It’s time for the next race.”
What was even more amazing was that Ecuador’s Alex Quinonez came on in the last 50 m to finish second in an outstanding 19.87, and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Andre De Grasse (CAN) was third in 19.92 … and they weren’t in the race!
Lyles plans to run the 100 m next week in Monaco, where he will take on Justin Gatlin, who looked very good running and winning the 100 m in 9.92, a week after a 9.87 in a tight loss to Christian Coleman at Stanford:
“It was a smooth race. I was coming here to finish strong. I was instructed to have a clean start.
“On the last ten meters I felt like I was winning. I’m going to go home after Monaco. I’m feeling strong and more competitive. The podium is not promised at the World Championships.”
There were three world-leading marks during the meet:
● Men/200 m: 19.50, Noah Lyles (USA)
● Men/1,500 m: 3:28.77, Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN)
● Men/Pole Vault: 6.01 m (19-81/2), Piotr Lisek (POL)
Cheruiyot continues to show that he’s far-and-away the best miler on the planet, charging to the lead after the 1,000 m mark and holding nearly a 10 m lead with half a lap to go … and then extending it to the finish in 3:28.77, just off his lifetime best of 3:28.41. Norway’s 18-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen continues to improve, sprinting for second at the line and setting a lifetime best of 3:30.16. Cheruiyot ran the last lap in 56.66.
Lisek and reigning World Champion Sam Kendricks of the U.S. were the only ones to clear 5.95 m (19-6 1/4), then missed three times at 6.01 m (19-8 1/2), but then agreed to a jump-off at 6.01 and Lisek made it for a new lifetime best and a Polish national record to win the meet.
There were more highlights:
● Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce showed that her 10.73 at the Jamaican Nationals was no fluke, with a dominating win in the women’s 100 m in 10.74. Only 2016 Olympic champ Elaine Thompson (also 10.73) has run faster this season.
● Shamier Little of the U.S. won the 400 m hurdles by going out fast and forging a big lead. She had to chop her step on hurdle 10 and two-time World Champion Zuzana Heinova (CZE) and American Ashley Spencer got closer, but Little sprinted away to win in 53.73, no. 3 on the world list for 2019 behind fellow Americans Dalilah Muhammad and Sydney McLaughlin.
● Spain’s Orlando Ortega won the 110 m hurdles in 13.05 to move to no. 3 on the 2019 world list, beating Daniel Roberts, who made his professional debut. Roberts, who ran 13.00 for second at the NCAA Championships, hit hurdle four and clipped another hurdle, but found some rhythm over the 10th barrier and the run-in and was closing fast in 13.11, a very good start to his international career.
● The men’s 800 m was supposed to be a heat check on Kenya’s Emmnauel Korir, but it was countryman Wyclife Kinyamal who got to the line first in 1:43.78, no. 3 in the world for 2019. Korir was in position to win down the home straight, but lost form and faded to third (1:44.01) behind Kenyans Kimyamal and Ferguson Rotich (1:43.93).
The strangest race of the day was in the men’s 5,000 m, where Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet made a decisive move at the 4,300 m mark and crossed the line at 4,600 m believing he had won … but with a lap still to run! His error cost him the race, but gave fellow Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha – the guy who fell and tried to keep himself up by pulling at Selemon Barega’s shorts last year – the opportunity to run away from the rest of the field. He wasn’t challenged on the final lap and won in 13:00.56. Barega (ETH) ended up second this year at 13:01.99, and Gebrhiwet fell to 10th.
Wow! The circus moves on to Monaco next week; summaries:
IAAF Diamond League/Athletissima
Lausanne (SUI) ~ 4-5 July 2019
(Full results here)
Men
100 m (wind +0.2 m/s): 1. Justin Gatlin (USA), 9.92; 2. Michael Rodgers (USA), 10.01; 3. Aaron Brown (CAN), 10.07. Also: 5. Cameron Burrell (USA), 10.18; 6. Devin Quinn (USA), 10.19; 7. Kendal Williams (USA), 10.20; 8. Devon Allen (USA), 10.33.
200 m (-0.1): 1. Noah Lyles (USA), 19.50; 2. Alex Quinonez (ECU), 19.87; 3. Andre De Grasse (CAN), 19.92.
800 m: 1. Wyclife Kinyamal (KEN), 1:43.78; 2. Ferguson Rotich (KEN), 1:43.93; 3. Emmanuel Korir (KEN), 1:44.01. Also: 5. Clayton Murphy (USA), 1:44.47.
1,500 m: 1. Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN), 3:28.77; 2. Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR), 3:30.16; 3. Ayanleh Souleiman (DJI), 3:30.79.
5,000 m: 1. Yomif Kejelcha (ETH), 13:00.56; 2. Selemon Barega (ETH), 13:01.99; 3. Telahun Haile Bekele (ETH), 13:03.09. Also: 6. Paul Chelimo (USA), 13:05.70.
110 m hurdles (+1.0): 1. Orlando Ortega (ESP), 13.05; 2. Daniel Roberts (USA), 13.11; 3. Ronald Levy (JAM), 13.25. Also: 7. Devon Allen (USA), 13.35.
400 m hurdles (non-Diamond League); 1. Luke Campbell (GER), 49.54; 2. Rasmus Magi (EST), 49.54; 3. Mamadou Hann (FRA), 49.90.
Pole Vault: 1. Piotr Lisek (POL), 6.01 m (19-8 1/2; won on fourth attempt jump-off with Kendricks); 2. Sam Kendricks (USA), 5.95 m (19-6 1/4); 3. tie, Mondo Duplantis (SWE) and Renaud Levillenie (FRA), 5.81 m (19-0 3/4). Also: 5. Cole Walsh (USA), 5.71 m (18-8 3/54).
Long Jump: 1. Juan Miguel Echavarria (CUB), 8.32 m (27-3 3/4); 2. Militiadis Tentoglou (GRE), 8.19 m (26-10 1/2); 3. Luvo Manyonga (RSA), 8.13 m (26-8 1/4). Also: 7. Will Claye (USA), 7.74 m (25-4 3/4).
Women
100 m (+0.2): 1. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM), 10.74; 2. Dina Asher-Smith (GBR), 10.91; 3. Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV), 10.93. Also: 5. Kayla White (USA), 11.16.
200 m (non-Diamond League; +1.0): 1. Gabby Thomas (USA), 22.69; 2. Jodie Williams (GBR), 22.75; 3. Anthonique Strachan (BAH), 22.81.
400 m: 1. Salwa Eid Naser (BRN), 49.17; 2. Aminatou Seyni (NIG), 49.19; 3. Stephenie Ann McPherson (JAM), 50.88. Also: 7. Courtney Okolo (USA), 51.85.
800 m (non-Diamond League): 1. Nelly Jepkosgei (KEN), 1:59.54; 2. Halimah Nakaayi (UGA), 1:59.97; 3. Gabriela Gajanova (SVK), 2:01.25.
400 m hurdles: 1. Shamier Little (USA), 53.73; 2. Zuzana Hejnova (CZE), 54.11; 3. Ashley Spencer (USA), 54.11. Also: 7. Kori Carter (USA), 55.55; 8. Cassandra Tate (USA), 56.90.
High Jump: 1. Mariya Lasitskene (RUS), 2.02 m (6-7 1/2); 2. Karyna Taranda (BLR), 2.00 m (6-6 3/4); 3. Mirela Demireva (BUL), 1.97 m (6-5 1/2).
Pole Vault (non-Diamond League; held in city center): 1. Katie Nageotte (USA), 4.82 m (15-9 3/4); 2. Anzhelika Sidorova (RUS), 4.72 m (15-5 3/4); 3. Holly Bradshaw (GBR), 4.72 m (15-5 3/4).
Triple Jump: 1. Caterine Ibarguen (COL), 14.89 m (48-10 1/4); 2. Yulimar Rojas (VEN), 14.82 m (48-7 1/2); 3. Liadagmus Povea (CUB), 14.77 m (48-5 1/2).
Shot Put: 1. Christina Schwanitz (GER), 19.04 m (62-5 3/4); 2. Brittany Crew (CAN), 18.46 m (60-6 3/4); 3. Fanny Roos (SWE), 18.41 m (60-4 3/4). Also: 6. Chase Ealey (USA), 18.15 m (59-6 3/4).
Javelin: 1. Christin Hussong (GER), 66.59 m (218-5); 2. Kelsey-Lee Barber (AUS), 65.63 m (215-4); 3. Barbora Spotakova (CZE), 63.79 m (209-3). Also: 9. Kara Winger (USA), 56.99 m (186-11).
