Noah Lyles Strikes World Lead and Sends Strong Message to Track Rivals - ‘Better Tighten Up’

Olympics champion Noah Lyles has delivered a statement of intent to his sprint rivals after striking a world leading time as he won the US Championships on Friday.

Lyles won his third 100m national title with a world-leading 9.79-second run (+0.8 m/s), equaling his personal best.

"I think I made a statement that I’m still the world’s fastest man," Lyles declared after his commanding win as quoted by LetsRun.

The men's 100m final was expected to be a tighter contest, but Lyles signaled his intent in the semi-finals with a blistering, albeit slightly wind-aided, 9.76 (+2.1 m/s).

In the final, he left no doubt, pulling away from the field in the second half to win by a clear margin.

In a surprise for second place, 32-year-old Ronnie Baker edged out defending champion Kenny Bednarek by just five-thousandths of a second, with both clocking in at 9.88. Bednarek was later seen hobbling through the mixed zone, supported by his coach.

Lyles' performance was a powerful response to anyone who thought his best days in the 100m were behind him. Now 29, an age when many sprinters begin to decline, and after a challenging 2025 season marred by an ankle injury and several losses, his grip on the "world's fastest man" title seemed to be loosening.

However, his 9.79-second run—the fastest time in the world since the 2024 Paris Olympic final where he first set that personal best—proved he remains a dominant force. Lyles revealed that a recent hand-timed 9.6-second run in practice had him feeling confident. He knew the race was his to win when he found himself close to the notoriously fast-starting Christian Coleman early on.

"Coach is like, just put your hand in his pocket and don’t let him go," Lyles explained. "And when we took the first two steps, I was like, 'Ooh yeah, my hand is right in that pocket. It’s my race to win.'"

With this victory, Lyles has sent a clear message to his rivals, including Jamaica's Oblique Seville and Kishane Thompson, and rising stars like Kayinsola Ajayi and Jordan Anthony.

"I think that I was playing around. So I think everybody better tighten up," Lyles warned. "I’m constantly trying to learn, constantly trying to get better every year. I never go into the year thinking, 'Okay, I’ve gotta be like I was last year.' It’s what is the new thing, what is going to progress us down the line?"

As a showdown with Seville and Ajayi looms at the upcoming World Ultimate Championships, Lyles appears more than ready for the challenge. "I’m not even doing what I know I can do. We’re not at peak, we’re not at perfect technique. We’re nowhere near that," he added.