The clock’s ticking, fans are losing their minds, but it’s like time stopped. All eyes locked in because, yep, you guessed it: Noah Lyles was about to run in the Atlanta City Games. The Olympic gold medalist. The showman. The guy who was this close (0.06 seconds, to be exact) to breaking Usain Bolt’s 150m record last time, which is 14.35. So naturally, the hype was crazy. Like last year, Lyles dropped a blazing 14.41 seconds at the Atlanta City Games, the second-fastest ever, but still not enough to rewrite the record books. So close you could taste it, but history stays untouched. But in 2025, the stage was set for another epic attempt to shatter Bolt’s 150m record—only for it to turn into a nightmare no one saw coming.

But this time, the heartbreak didn’t start at the finish line. Nah, it started the day before. News breaks by Wingfoot Atlanta Track Club: Noah’s OUT. What! Yes, you read that right. The reason? Injury. Which injury exactly? That part remains unclear, as no official details have been revealed yet. But what we do know is that his 2025 Adidas Atlanta City Games appearance was suddenly canceled. Even though he will show up in Atlanta as he’ll still show up to sign autographs, he won’t suit up to race. But for now, the event’s biggest star instantly became its biggest “what if.”

And that means with Noah Lyles sidelined, there are no American athletes left competing in this event, meaning Team USA won’t be winning any medals here. The top contenders now are Zharnel Hughes from Great Britain, Alexander Ogando from the Dominican Republic, Ferdinand Omanyala from Kenya, and Terrence Jones from the Bahamas. But can it impact Noah’s season, too?

This was supposed to be his second race of the season, after his outdoor season opener at the Tom Jones Invitational in Gainesville, Florida, about a month prior, where he ran 45.87 seconds in the 400m, marking his first competitive 400m race since 2017. Now, with this injury, Noah’s 2025 season is already delayed before it gets going. Looking back, Noah’s outdoor season openers and early races have been pretty consistent since 2022, setting a pattern of building momentum early in the year.

In 2022, he raced twice before May: starting at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational (200m, 19.49s) and then at the Diamond League Meeting in Doha (200m, 19.72s). In 2023, again, two races before May—opening at the Tom Jones Memorial (100m, 10.01s) and then the Doha Diamond League (200m). In 2024, Noah Lyles stepped it up with four early-season races: the Tom Jones Memorial (100m, 10.01s), Jamaica’s Racers Grand Prix (100m, 9.85s), the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix (100m, 9.96s), and the Atlanta City Games (150m, 14.99s).

But this year, 2025, he only managed one race so far, the 400m at the Tom Jones Memorial, before this injury sidelined him. And that’s not the only reason his absence might disrupt the entire US sprint program’s strategy. How? Because it could create problems for the nationals. What’s at stake? Let’s break it down.

Team USA’s sprinting future rests on Noah Lyles. Here’s why

We know Noah Lyles, the name every track fan knows and fears, is facing a tough break. Yep, the US sprinting superstar is sidelined with an injury, just as the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (September 13–21) loom large on the horizon. Imagine that: the biggest event of the year, where every sprinter dreams of making history, and Noah was gearing up to chase triple gold in the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relay.

Watching him run? But now? That sprinting storm is on hold, and Team USA’s golden plans are hanging by a thread. So, why is Noah’s injury such a big deal? Because he’s more than just a star sprinter—he’s the glue that holds the US 4x100m relay team together. This guy isn’t just running solo; he’s been the anchor and starter on gold-winning teams time and again.

Remember the 2023 World Championships in Budapest? Lyles anchored the US men’s 4x100m relay to a blazing 37.38-second victory—part of his legendary triple gold haul that year.  And then, at the 2024 World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas, he did it again, helping the team win more gold with a world-leading 37.40 seconds. That’s how crucial Noah’s presence and rhythm are for the squad.

Here’s the bottom line: the US relay’s gold-winning formula depends on runners who can break 10 seconds in the 100m and 20 seconds in the 200m, and Noah Lyles’s speed (100m best is 9.79 and 200m is 19.31) and experience are key to that mix. Lose him, and suddenly the baton exchanges get shaky, the pace slows, and rival teams like Jamaica and Great Britain see a real shot at stealing the spotlight.

With Noah already out of the 2025 Adidas Atlanta City Games, Usain Bolt’s records might just survive another season intact. Noah’s injury isn’t just a personal setback; it’s a potential game-changer for the entire US sprint program. The sprinting world will be watching if Noah Lyles can bounce back and hit the track in time for the World Championships.