Noah Lyles served notice on Friday that the two years since his Olympic breakthrough haven't cost him a step, storming to a 9.79-second victory in the men's 100m final at the USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships in New York.
The time matched his own personal best - the 9.79 he ran to win Olympic gold in Paris in August 2024 - and stands as the fastest 100m mark run by anyone in the world this season.
It was Lyles' third US outdoor title over the distance, cementing his status as the man to beat in the sprints heading toward the next global championship cycle.
True to his usual pattern, Lyles was not fastest out of the blocks. He trailed through the early phase of the race before unleashing his trademark closing speed over the final 30 metres to pull clear of the field.
Ronnie Baker took second place in 9.88, edging out Kenny Bednarek by just five thousandths of a second - both sprinters were credited with the same 9.88 clocking, with Baker awarded the runner-up spot on a photo finish.
"I think I made that 'I'm still the world's fastest man' statement," Lyles said afterward, according to World Athletics' official report on the meeting.
The New York championships also produced a statement performance in the women's field, with Sha'Carri Richardson winning the 100m title in an equally emphatic display, giving the meet a genuine world-class sheen.
For Lyles, the reigning Olympic and world 100m champion, matching his lifetime best in a domestic final rather than a global showpiece sends a clear signal to rivals that his current form has lost nothing since Paris.
