Noah Lyles vs Ferdinand Omanyala: Can Kenyan upset the reigning 100m world champion at Paris Olympic 2024?

Noah Lyles is the reigning 100m and 200m world champion, and a hot favorite for the gold medals heading into the Paris Olympics 2024. However, it isn't going to be easy for him. Lyles is set to face tough competition from Ferdinand Omanyala, who recently clocked a world-leading time in the 100m sprint.

Omanyala qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024 with a blistering 9.79s at the Kenyan Athletics Olympic Trials 2024. He overtook Jamaica’s Oblique Seville (9.82s) for the fastest 100m time of 2024. On the other hand, Noah Lyles ranks third in the year with his 9.85s at the Racers Grand Prix, the same event where Seville had clocked 9.82s.

Lyles opened his season with 10.01s at Tom Jones Memorial, bettering it to 9.96s on a windy track at Bermuda Grand Prix 2024 before closing on his personal best of 9.83s at Racers Grand Prix. Ferdinand Omanyala had a similar progression, with 10.03s in his opener followed by 9.98 at Prefontaine Classic before clocking the world lead at Olympic Trials. It may seem Omanyala is a step ahead, but Noah Lyles is yet to race at the Olympic Trials, where an athlete aims to deliver the second-best performance of the year after the Olympics.

After Lyles closed on his personal best of 9.83s early in the season, he is expected to clock a low 9.7s at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials. Come the Olympics, Lyles might even go sub 9.7s in Paris given the form and improvement in blocks he has shown this year. He broke his personal bests twice in 60m this year before tying the American 150m record.

While we expect Noah Lyles to go sub 9.7 at the Paris Olympics 2024, how fast can Ferdinand Omanyala go? He has a personal best of 9.77s over the 100m, and after his world-leading time, we expect the Kenyan to drop a similar time as that of Lyles at the Paris Olympics 2024. It's a close contest but the American will have a slight edge.

Lyles has shone on big stages with three gold medals at last year's World Championships. He boasts five Diamond League titles in addition to an Olympic bronze. The American knows how to perform under pressure, while Omanyala hasn't had much success at the big meets. He holds a lone 100m gold at the Commonwealth Games from 2022.

Who else can challenge Noah Lyles at the 2024 Paris Olympics?

Day 2 - World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023

Oblique Seville will be another name Noah Lyles may face a tough challenge from. He beat the American at Racers Grand Prix in an epic finish, looking back at Lyles a second before crossing the finish line and bringing up memories of Usain Bolt.

The Jamaican holds a personal best of 9.82 over Lyles’ 9.83s but both are yet to run at the Olympic Trials. While we expect Lyles to reach sub 9.7s at the 100m finals in Paris, Seville might also not be that far from 9.7. Given that he was enjoying his last few meters at Racers Grand Prix, the Jamaican can at least reach the low 9.7s in Paris.