Noah Lyles sets 100m best at 9.81 seconds in run-up to 2024 Olympics

Noah Lyles of the USA finished the men's 100-meter race at Saturday's World Athletics Diamond League event in London in 9.81 seconds, setting his personal best.

The meeting in the United Kingdom's capital was the final Diamond League competition before the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. The men's 100-meter event was the final race of the day, and each of the top five sprinters broke 10 seconds.

Lyles beat Akani Simbine of South Africa (9.86 seconds), Letsile Tebogo of Botswana (9.88 seconds), and his own personal best of 9.83 seconds set at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in August 2023.

"That was fun," Lyes said. "I could have had a better start, but the transitions were great and coming away with a PB, this has been what I prayed for and what I wanted."

Lyles' performance of 9.81 seconds ranks third in the world this year behind 9.77 seconds by Jamaica's Kishane Thompson and 9.79 seconds by Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala. Three years ago at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympics, Lyles earned the bronze medal in the men's 200-meter final. This time in Paris, he is chasing a bigger goal.

"I'm going to win," he said. "That's what I always do."

Lyles' compatriot, Gabby Thomas, won the women's 200-meter title on Saturday after clocking 21.82 seconds, 0.04 second faster than Julien Alfred of St. Lucia who came in second.

Keely Hodgkinson of the United Kingdom pocketed the women's 800-meter gold after finishing in 1:54.61. She was joined by two compatriots, Jemma Reekie (1:55.61) and Georgia Bell (1:56.28), on the podium. Hodgkinson and Reekie were the only two who previously went under 1:56 in the event this year.