Olympic champion Noah Lyles to make 100m season debut at London Diamond League

LONDON – Olympic champion Noah Lyles renews competition with Letsile Tebogo over 100m at the Diamond League meet in London on July 19, a week after the American marked his return to action with victory in the 200m over the Botswanan in Monaco.

Lyles runs his first 100m of 2025, headlining an afternoon featuring the cream of track and field athletes, winners of 75 medals between them from the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest and the 2024 Paris Olympics, across both individual and relay disciplines.

Here is a look at stand-out events at the 11th leg of the 15-meet Diamond League circuit:

Men’s 100m

Tebogo, who won the 200m gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics as Lyles finished third, was edged out in Monaco by the American, who clocked an impressive 19.88 seconds in his return to the track from a tendon injury.

Lyles said it had been tough watching early-season competition from home, but his comeback was timely with the World Championships in Tokyo on the horizon in September.

“I have a bye for the US trials which makes it less stressful because it gives us the time to work on the races,” Lyles said.

“It gives us time to see what works and what doesn’t and to be able to make moves from there.”

The hosts will be represented by Louie Hinchliffe, world indoor 60m champion Jeremiah Azu and world 100m bronze medallist Zharnel Hughes.

The Jamaican duo of Oblique Seville and Ackeem Blake, and South African Akani Simbine fill out the field in what should be a top-notch race.

Women’s 200m

Julien Alfred was in dominant form when she scorched to victory in the 100m in Monaco in 10.79sec.

“The last week was not the best for me... it also showed me that I am not where I should be and that there are things that I still need to work on,” she insisted despite her win.

“The season is long, but I don’t have any trials so I will have time to work on the details.

“I took a step back and realise that I won’t put any pressure on myself this year.”

Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, Daryll Neita and Amy Hunt will provide the competition, along with the sole American in the field, Brittany Brown.

Men’s 1,500m

The men’s 1,500m features a stellar cast of homegrown athletes, notably the last two world champions Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr.

That pair each outsprinted Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen for victory in Eugene in 2022 and Budapest in 2023 respectively.

Ingebrigtsen was a late withdrawal from London, his team saying: “He still needs a little more time to heal the injury he has been struggling with lately... he does not want to risk anything.”

Further British hopes ride on the shoulders of Neil Gourley, George Mills and Elliot Giles, while it is Kenya’s Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech who owns the fastest time of the season in 3min 27.72sec.

Women’s 800m

There may be no local hero Keely Hodgkinson on the cards as the Olympic champion is still recovering from injury, but the two-lap race is another loaded one.

Laura Muir, Jemma Reekie and Georgia Hunter Bell form a strong home trio, while Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi and Jamaican Natoya Goule-Toppin will ensure a rapid race. AFP