By Jasmyne Tomas for SOJC Track Bureau
At the very end of the press table Thursday afternoon, in a red U.S. team shirt that made him stick out from the rest of the U.S. athletes meeting the media, was Noah Lyles, reigning world champion in the men’s 200 meters and the bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics. Directly to his right was his brother, Josephus Lyles, who is less than a year younger.
“Everything I didn’t have in Tokyo,” he said, “I now have here at this world championships.”
Both of the Lyles brothers will be competing at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, which begins Friday. This is the first time they will be representing the U.S. together.
“It’s completely different from Tokyo. It’s an exact 180, I would say,” said Noah.
When asked how their mom reacted to the news of both of them making the team, Josephus, in a high-pitched tone, acted out the excitement his mom expressed over FaceTime. “‘Mom, I’ll be on the team,’” said Josephus. “And she just started crying, like she was just bawling, crying.”
Josephus finished fifth in the men’s 200 meters at the U.S. championships, and for worlds he is part of the 4×100-meter relay pool. This will be his first World Championships.
Going into the U.S. trials, Noah had the automatic qualifier because of his gold medal from the 2019 World Championships in Doha. However, he still competed in the final, which he won with just enough time to point, to his left, at the camera before crossing the finish line. This has been a strong and consistent season for Noah, who has run under 20 seconds in each of his races.
The U.S. team has a history of strong sprinters, which in turn should result in fast relay teams. However, the U.S. also has a history of struggling with efficient and smooth handoffs. Without giving too much away about the relay camp that happened last week, Noah mentioned this year they’ve practiced more than in the past. He also hinted at a possible world record.
“I’ve been saying this for years,” Noah said. “When I’m on the relay, we ain’t losing, point blank. And we might break the world record, just saying.”
