USA Track and Field Championships 2023: Noah Lyles finishes second in his heat, advances to 100m semi-finals
Reigning 200m world champion Noah Lyles is headed to the 100m semi-finals at the 2023 U.S. Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, despite missing much of his preparation for the event sick with COVID.
"I've been sick since [the] New York [Grand Prix], I actually got COVID," Lyles told reporters afterward. "I didn't get cleared until Sunday and flew out Monday, so it's been a wild week, a very wild week."
Christian Coleman was the fastest across the four heats with a 9.95 time, followed by Cravont Charleston at 10.01. JT Smith and Kendal Williams tied at 10.02.
To advance, Lyles ran a 10.05 time in the third men's 100m heat on Thursday (6 July). It was the sixth fastest time overall.
The 25-year-old, who just days ago wasn't sure if he would race here, refused to use his illness as a crutch.
"It's just the hand I was dealt," said Lyles. "And I gotta treat it like it's the best winning hand I've got."
Reigning world champion in the event Fred Kerley is not racing the 100m in Eugene, having secured entry to the World Athletics Championships courtesy of his victory in last year’s final, while 2022 world 400m champion Michael Norman, who has been attempting to make the transition to the 100m, finished eighth in his heat with a 10.31.
The event, which runs through Sunday (9 July) also serves as the U.S. trials for the upcoming World Championships.
Source: Olympics
