“Noah Lyles is smashing the world lead” ; “American record going down” - Fans react in anticipation of the World Champion’s 200m season opener

Noah Lyles is all set to open his 200m season at the USATF NYC Grand Prix on June 9th, and fans couldn't be more excited. For the American, this is his specialty event and the one where he remains a dominant favorite for the Olympic gold.

The last time Lyles raced the 200m was at the Zurich Diamond League in August 2023 where he clinched the win with a 19.80.

Now, the American will race his specialty event for the first time in 10 months, and fans are excited to see what times he comes up with. The World Champion has gone undefeated in the 200m for two straight years, and he’ll be hungry to keep that streak alive this Olympic season.

Anticipating his appearance at the USATF Grand Prix, one fan on X (formerly Twitter) showed confidence that the American would clock a world lead on his debut, writing,

“Noah’s smashing the WL. Expect 19.5”

Another fan said they were expecting the World Champion to finally get that American record, writing,

“American record is going down.”

A few other track and field enthusiasts joined the conversation to show excitement about the time Noah Lyles would clock in at the USATF NYC Grand Prix.

“Noah is getting that world lead,” one fan wrote.

“19.56 if it doesn't rain,” another chimed in.

“Ooh this should be good,” one X user commented.

“Book it - 1. Noah, 2. Terrance, 3. Carnes/Fahnbulleh, 5. Josephus, 6. Carnes, 7. Morrow, 8. Hicklin,” one track and field enthusiast said, guessing the finishing order.

Noah Lyles aims to breach Kenny Bednarek’s world lead at the NYC Grand Prix

Fans are expecting Noah Lyles to clock a 200m world lead at the NYC Grand Prix in his season debut, and the sprinter has set the same target for himself. At the minute, the 2024 world lead for the 200m belongs to Kenny Bednarek, after his 19.67 run at the Doha Diamond League on May 10th.

Taking to his X after the race, Lyles had proposed quite the challenge for his compatriot, writing,

“Shout out to Kenny Bednarek for that 19.6 world lead. That was impressive! I will let you keep it till June 9th 😉”

So far in 2024, Noah Lyles has had quite the season, opening his year with appearances in the 60m. He raced thrice in that short distance, taking to the track at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, the USA Indoor Championships, and the World Indoor Championships. He won both the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix and the USA Indoor Championships but settled for a silver in Glasgow.

Next, Lyles moved on to attack the 100m, a distance where he claimed his first World Championship gold last year. The 26-year-old has claimed three medals in the 100m, a gold at the Tom Jones Memorial and Bermuda Grand Prix, as well as one silver at the Racers Grand Prix.

Now, as he prepares to finally begin his 200m season, his fans are excited to see what times he clocks on Sunday.