World Athletics Championships 2025: Noah Lyles in Peak Form but Faces Tough Challenge

Noah Lyles declares he is in the best shape of his life but faces stiff competition in the men's 100m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The men's and women's 100m finals are scheduled just seven minutes apart on Sunday night at Japan's National Stadium. Early heats on Saturday showcased statement runs that energised the sell-out crowd.

At the 2023 championships in Budapest, Lyles won three golds and added Olympic 100m gold at Paris 2024. This season, however, his best of 9.90s ranks 14th globally, and he lost to Jamaica's Oblique Seville in August.

After qualifying fourth fastest for the semi-finals, the 28-year-old remained confident. "I had a great start today but even better in practice. There's more in the tank," he said. "I’m in the best form of my life."

Jamaica’s Rising Threats

Jamaica’s Oblique Seville and Kishane Thompson loom as major threats. Seville defeated Lyles in Lausanne, while Thompson, the fastest this year at 9.75s, missed Olympic gold by 0.005s and aims for world title glory. A Jamaican win would be the first in the men's 100m at a global championship since Usain Bolt in 2015.

American Contenders and European Hopes

Kenny Bednarek, second-fastest this year at 9.79s, will hope to keep the title in US hands—provided he remembers his spikes after a pre-championship mishap.

Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, Jeremiah Azu, and Romell Glave also aim for podium places in a competitive field.

Women’s 100m Showdown

American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden leads this year with 10.65s and three of the five fastest times of the season. Olympic champion Julien Alfred has one of the few times interrupting her dominance with 10.75s.

Jamaica’s Tina Clayton (10.81s), Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce—contesting her final 100m at a global event—and Shericka Jackson complete a strong medal challenge. Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita, and Amy Hunt reached the semi-finals, with Neita posting a season’s best of 10.94s.

Despite Lyles’s confidence and career-best form, Jamaica’s rising stars and Olympic champions set the stage for one of the most open 100m finals in recent history.

This topic was reported by BBC Sport.

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