In March, Jordan Anthony beat his training partner Noah Lyles to win the US 60m title on Staten Island. After the race, an unbothered Lyles even crashed Anthony’s post-race moment to hand over “The Belt,” something he created to keep practices competitive. It looked like Lyles did not take it too seriously in that moment, and that feeling seemed genuine, as 2026 is an off year. Even in his pre-race talk at the Rome Diamond League, he spoke about races being more about “fun,” this year, but once the race came, it still felt like the same goal never really changed as he went up against the 21-year-old American runner again.

On June 4 at the Golden Gala in Rome, Lyles produced a season’s best 9.88 to win the men’s 100m at the Stadio Olimpico. After the race, he said: “I had a great finish. I can go again. Who wants to go? I was having a great block session yesterday. I showed it today.” The time was his fastest since winning Olympic gold in 2024, and only his second 100m of the season after opening in Tokyo at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix on May 17, where he ran 9.95 to win after a slow start.

Rome gave a clearer version of that same pattern. Lyles did not explode out of the blocks, but his finish was strong enough to close down the field, including his training partner Jordan Anthony, who finished fourth in 9.96. Both had been training in the same system and using those sessions to measure where they stand against each other.

Anthony had shown confidence before the race, saying: “I want anybody that steps on the track. As a rookie you never see that from somebody that’s new to this sport. Because track is weird, it has its own tricks and gimmicks but honestly, I just don’t care.” That mindset carried him into the race, even if the result did not match his expectations.

But at the same time, the field around them was deep and fast. Emmanuel Eseme took second in a Cameroon national record of 9.94, Letsile Tebogo finished third in 9.95, and Lamont Marcell Jacobs was also in the mix with 9.99. Interestingly, five athletes in total broke the 10 second barrier in this race.

Even so, Lyles won in 9.88 which is the second fastest time of 2026 so far with only Kayinsola Ajayi’s 9.84 ahead of him this year. After the race, Lyles said:

“This season might be different but it doesn’t mean the goal is different. I am not showing anywhere to lose. I am here to win. 10m before the finish line I knew the race was over and I had already won it. I was thinking about how I was going to celebrate it.” And next, he is also expected to headline a special 150m at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, another chance to test his speed in a new setup. Still, even with wins like this and moments where he beats Jordan Anthony on the track, it does not feel like a true rivalry between them.

Noah Lyles impressed by Jordan Anthony’s breakout form

Noah Lyles and Jordan Anthony aren’t exactly rivals. They work together in the same PURE Athletics system and this connection is evident on race day when they are all running for the same finish line. This combo arrived at the 2026 USA Track & Field Indoor Championships in New York on March 1. Jordan Anthony had a breakthrough win in the men’s 60m with a 6.45-second time. Lyles was third in 6.51, and Trayvon Bromell was second in 6.47.

The time following the race told a different story and it seemed Anthony had made a quantum leap in his progress.  Lyles did not react like a beaten rival. He made it playful. He handed Anthony the symbolic “belt” used inside their training group, a small tradition meant to keep competition alive between sessions. Then came a viral exchange where Lyles said:

“Look man, you’re just babysitting the belt for me. Make sure you pause it at night. It likes to have a bedtime story at 8 p.m everynight. And then when we get to outdoors with the big boys, you know make sure it comes back for us. Make sure you get a passport… you know what? I’m gonna go back in my bag.”

It seems like they share understanding. Even a few weeks later, Anthony backed it up on a bigger stage. He won the World Indoor 60m title in Poland in his global debut, running 6.41 seconds to finish fourth all-time. Lyles was one of the first to respond. He posted: “Stop Playing on this Man @Jordananthony_6 First year, World champion!” showing clear respect for what his training partner had done.

But this isn’t the first time Lyles praised him. Lyles once said about Anthony’s talent: “I have no doubt in Jordan. I watched him at the beginning of the year, and I was like, ‘Well, I’m not going to (World Indoors), so I guess he’s winning.’”Even with wins going back and forth, the link between them has stayed steady. T