The 60-meter dash used to be outside of 200m world champion Noah Lyles’ comfort zone. But this year, it’s like his superpower.
Lyles took down Trayvon Bromell — the 2016 60m world champion — at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix last weekend, setting a new 60m personal best of 6.51.
It indicates how much Lyles, whose strongest asset is typically his finish, has improved his opening speed.
In three of the last six years, Lyles has set a new 200m personal best after every indoor season where he set a 60m personal best. Last year he ran 6.55 before running 19.31 (an American record) to win the 200m at the World Championships.
This year’s success has made Lyles hungry for the 200m world record.
“The first part is what I consider the weaker part of my race. The stronger I get at that, the better I get,” Lyles said Thursday after a press conference for the Millrose Games in New York City. “I’m becoming a great curve runner and finisher, so the race is coming together. I truthfully believe I’m going to have to run nine seconds in that first 100m to break the [200] world record.”
The personal record also makes him extremely confident about doubling in the 100m and the 200m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary in July.
“I truthfully believe I will win the double,” Lyles said. “Now I’ve produced proof. Now I see the goal. Now, I see it coming into fruition.”
“I can smell the track in my visions,” he added.
Lyles said the biggest thing that will help him ahead of the Millrose Games this Saturday against 60m world record holder Christian Coleman is his acceleration.
“Christian is the best accelerator,” Lyles said. “But I don’t have to be better than him. I just have to be better than I was last year.”
When asked who has better top-end speed between him and 100m world champion Fred Kerley, Lyles gave a short answer: “Me.”
Lyles said retired Olympic hurdler Ralph Mann measured Lyles’ top speed at 12.5 meters per second over two years ago.
“And that’s not in competition,” Lyles added. “I’m the highest recorded he’s ever had.”
Ahead of the Millrose Games this weekend, Lyles is as confident as he’s ever been for the 60m.
“All together, it’s how close can I get to executing my race next to strong competition,” he said.
