“I have a bye for the US Trials, which makes it less stressful because it gives us the time to work on the races…..” Noah Lyles said this right after the Prefontaine Classic, sounding assured about the US Trials. But that surety is about to be rattled now. A new threat just announced himself, and in the most dramatic way possible. Right before the nationals, a young American’s form has taken the track world by storm. Because a guy who just obliterated the reigning Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo’s record in the blink of an eye isn’t just fast. He’s a threat to anyone on the track. Who else could it be?

Lyles has just returned to the 200m track after nearly a year. Yet at the recent Monaco Diamond League, he held off Letsile Tebogo in the men’s 200m, by clocking a 19.88s time. However, that 19.88s run wasn’t enough to make the Botswanan land in hot water because Tebogo still was the 200m world lead this season. Yes, after his 19.76s run at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic, Tebogo had secured that mark for himself. However, what Noah Lyles could not do has now been done by another American. Clearly, the competition just got thicker, and the Nationals are not going to be an easy ride for the American favorites.

This Sunday, July 12, an NCAA star shook things up in Memphis at the Ed Murphey Classic 2025. We’re talking about T’Mars McCallum, the youngster who ran in the men’s 200m and finished the race in a personal best time of 19.73s (1.8). With this, he effectively snatched back the world lead from Letsile Tebogo. Yes, snatched back because right before Tebogo’s Prefontaine Classic time, it was McCallum who sat at the top of the table, thanks to his 19.83s time from the start of May 2025, when the 21-year-old ran at the NCAA Division I East First Round.

Now, as T’Mars McCallum has clocked a world lead for the second time this year, dipping faster than the pro American runners, Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, Christian Coleman, and others, he is looking in prime shape to claim a spot for the World Championships at the U.S. Nationals later this month. That means a spot once expected to go to one of the Olympians is now under threat. Because let’s face it, this youngster has clocked 19.73s and 19.83s this year, times none of the big names have matched.

The possibility of T’Mars McCallum surpassing the other Americans looks stronger as this is hardly the first time that he has left top sprinters in the dust this season. When he registered his wind-legal time of 19.83 in May, he took down an 8-year-old school record set by Christian Coleman during his 2017 Bowerman-winning campaign by 0.02s. McCallum’s time was also the sixth-fastest 200m in collegiate history and enough to edge the two-time Grand Slam champion Kenny Bednarek’s 19.84 as the world lead for the 2025 outdoor season. That’s clearly taking down two champions in one go!

Although McCallum has also had some upset losses at the NCAA Championships 2025, it looks like the 2025 SEC Indoor 200m bronze medalist has found his footing again. And he might give the Americans a tough time at the US Nationals. Especially Coleman, who has neither been in form this season nor run the 200m quite often, his sole race in the distance this year being at GST Philly, where he ended sixth. And Noah Lyles, who hasn’t raced as much this year, too, having begun his 200m campaign just 3 weeks away from the US Nationals. But well, Lyles does regret that immensely.

Noah Lyles in regret of not having started earlier

While everyone had been sharpening their sprinting forms all season long, Noah Lyles was mostly absent from the circuit. Although it was an injury that kept him away for most of the season, Lyles still voiced his regret, saying, “I was watching Prefontaine, and I wanted to be there, but we wanted first to make sure that I am healthy and fully able to compete.”

As a result, Noah Lyles lost some key opportunities to test himself against key rivals this year. He hasn’t faced Kishane Thompson yet, nor any of his American compatriots like Bednarek, Coleman, or Kerley. And he knows that he has missed out on a lot, “I missed most [of] the competitors, because I know everyone is giving their all.” 

And now, we have 8 sprinters currently ahead of him in the world in the 200. Can Noah Lyles go faster and change things in the coming races? Let us know our predictions below!