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RAY
)
Justin Gatlin has explained why people should not be quick to write off Noah Lyles despite his shocking 100m loss to Oblique Seville at the 2025 London Diamond League.
American Sprint Legend Justin Gatlin has explained how Noah Lyles may be outsmarting his 100 meter rivals, such as Kishane Thompson despite losing to Oblique Seville at the London Diamond League meeting earlier this month.
Seville clocked an impressive 9.86 seconds, comfortably ahead of Lyles, who finished second in 10.00 flat.
By Lyles’ standards, the performance was underwhelming despite it being his opening outdoor 100m race of the season, although he has been doing well in the 200 meters, beating Letsile Tebogo in Monaco.
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The 27-year-old impressively held on to win in 19.88 as Tebogo came second in 19.97.
Lyles, who has a bye in both the 100 and 200m races at the upcoming Tokyo World Championships by being the reigning defending champion in both events, still has enough time to make corrections before September when the event commences.
Speaking on his Ready Set Go podcast, Gatlin suggested Lyles and his coach, Lance Brauman, may be focusing on building elite 200m fitness as a base to sharpen his 100m performances heading into September’s World Championships.
“If he’s in top 200-meter shape — real, elite shape — then the 100 meters will still look really good,” Gatlin said. “That was our secret weapon back in our era. A fast 200 meant a fast 100 would follow.”
Lyles showed signs of that strength in Monaco, where he won the 200m in 19.88 seconds, holding off Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo in a tight finish.
200m Fitness Could Be the Foundation
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Gatlin also cited Usain Bolt’s 2017 season as a cautionary tale—where the Jamaican great focused solely on the 100m and failed to replicate his previous dominance.
“When you stop running 200s and just focus on the 100, your times can suffer,” Gatlin said. “That’s what happened to Bolt in 2017.”
He also pointed out that while rare talents like Asafa Powell could run world-class 100m times without doubling, most sprinters benefit from the endurance and rhythm developed in the longer sprint.
With Lyles already qualified for both sprints in Tokyo, he has the flexibility to fine-tune his form. Gatlin believes Lyles is smartly prioritising his speed endurance — a key element that may give him the edge over early starters like Christian Coleman or Kishane Thompson.
“No one’s separating from the start like Coleman used to,” Gatlin added. “And like Noah once said: ‘If I can touch you, I’m in your pocket — I’ve got you.’”
With less than two months to go before the Tokyo showdown, Lyles may be biding his time—focused not on peaking now, but when it matters most.