American track and field athlete Noah Lyles was recently spotted hitting the warm-up track ahead of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 2024. The upcoming event will be Lyles’s first attempt at seeking a world title indoors. The reigning 100m and 200m world champion will begin his indoor journey by competing in the 60m event.
Noah Lyles proved his mettle outdoors at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. The 26-year-old showcased his dominance in the 200m race for the third consecutive time. He also bagged his first-ever gold medal in the 100m race, dethroning Fred Kerley. Lyles added the cherry on his cake by winning his third gold medal in the 4x100m relay race.
The official Instagram page of the World Indoor Championships and USATF shared glimpses of Lyles' training session. He was spotted sprinting and jogging on the indoor track, working on his speed and timing. He could also be seen discussing his regime with his trainers.
Lyles first tried to enter the World Indoor Championships in 2018. He competed in the 60m race at the USA Indoor Championships, clocking a personal best time of 6.57 s. However, he failed to advance past the semi-final stage, thus halting his journey towards the world championship. After that, Lyles diverted his focus to competing in outdoor races.
Noah Lyles won a gold medal at the 2024 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix
On February 4, Noah Lyles bagged the gold medal in the 60m race at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. The 26-year-old ran an impressive 6.44s, leaving behind his competitors, second-placed Ackeem Blake and third-placed Ronnie Baker. Their timings were 6.45s and 6.54s, respectively.
Lyles’s 6.44 was an improvement on his personal best from 2022 when he clocked 6.51s.
In an interview with NBC Olympics and Paralympics, Noah Lyles drew parallels with his previous New Balance Indoor Grand Prix performances and how they suggest his 2024 Olympic dominance.
“I’m just thinking about in 2022 when I PR’D and I ran an American record," he said. "I’m thinking about last year when I PR’D at this meet and I became the three-time world champion. Now I am looking at another major PR. Guess what that means….We coming after everything.. All the Olympic medals. I don’t care who wants it. It’s mine.”
He added:
"All that people talk about is my start isn’t good. My acceleration isn’t good. Well, guess what? I just improved my 60m. The worst part of my race. It’s dangerous out here."