“I have good reason to think that I am capable of doing something new,” assured American sprinter Noah Lyles on Friday, competing in the 100 and 200 m at the Budapest World Athletics Championships, which begin on Saturday. .
Noah Lyles, reigning double world champion in the 200m, tackles the difficult double 100/200m. A few days ago, he posted on social networks his ambition to run in 9 sec 65 the 100m and 19 sec 10 the 200m, which would constitute a new world record (19.19 by Usain Bolt in 2009).
“I have no problem talking about my dreams. It doesn’t matter if I can do it or not,” he said at the US team’s press conference on Friday. “Trust is an interesting word. People think it comes out of nowhere. But no, it comes from the sequence of victories, which confirm each time. I ran at the Trials with the Covid, qualifying for the Worlds made me even stronger.
“Every day in training I see the proof, in numbers. I have good reason to think that I am capable of doing something new,” he added. He was then asked about Italian Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs, who has only raced once this season: “I know what form Jacobs is in, we’ve all seen him,” he said, enigmatic.
Asked a second time about his Italian competitor, he was slightly annoyed. “I will not say more. Why is this guy so popular? – I don’t know, man”, answered his compatriot Fred Kerley, reigning world champion in the straight line.
Kerley contented himself with about ten words during the entire press conference, including “I am Fred Kerley, and that’s my title”, about the 100m crown. The series will take place on Saturday before the semi-finals and the final on Sunday.
Sprinter Gabrielle Thomas, Olympic bronze medalist in the 200m, announced a busy schedule: in addition to the half-lap, she will compete in the mixed 4x400m relay on Saturday, the 4x100m relay final on Saturday August 26, and a priori the 4×400 m relay the next day.
