The Lausanne rain did not slow the field, but it did little to ease Noah Lyles’s frustration. Under a steady downpour and into a headwind, Oblique Seville once again separated himself from the Olympic champion, crossing in 9.87 seconds and handing Lyles another defeat. For the American, it was his third loss in as many international races this season, and the questions that followed revealed more than just his concerns about a sluggish start. They revealed a simmering discontent with the Diamond League itself.

Seville’s win was decisive. The Jamaican opened strongly out of the blocks and never looked back, finishing clear of Lyles and Ackeem Blake, who shared 10.02 in a photo finish for second. Lyles, true to his pattern this year, reacted poorly at the gun and had to claw through the field just to reach the podium.

Afterward, he offered a candid assessment, stating, “I just had a really bad reaction to the gun after that. There’s not much I could do. And just because it’s bad conditions doesn’t mean that, you know, fast times can’t be run.” At the Paris Olympics in 2024, Noah Lyles’ trademark slow start nearly cost him the 100m title. Known for lagging out of the blocks, Lyles was trailing early before relying on his trademark closing speed. His dip at the finish line ultimately secured him the gold, a move Kishane Thompson failed to match. But now, that same weakness has put him at a disadvantage.

His frustration was evident, yet his thoughts quickly moved beyond the race itself. After losing crucial weeks of training in April due to injury, Lyles returned late to competition and has yet to secure a win in the 100m this season. At the Silesia Diamond League, Thompson outpaced him, leaving Lyles to settle for second in 9.90 seconds, his fastest of the year. Similar struggles surfaced against Oblique Seville in London and Lausanne, where his slow starts left him chasing from behind. Despite his powerful finishes, the Olympic champion’s inability to match his rivals’ explosive openings has kept him searching for his first 100m victory of 2025.

He exaplained, “To be honest, there’s not much I could analyze, just ‘cuz it was just to be honest, a bad reaction after that. I was—I mean, I could go through the motions. I tried to get the, I guess, the most out of my top-end speed today while still not completely panicking.”

Meanwhile, the conversation turned to the broader circuit, and his demeanor hardened. Asked what he liked about the Diamond League, Lyles did not elaborate. He answered flatly: “Yeah, let’s move on.”

That single remark encapsulated more than the disappointment of Lausanne. It hinted at fatigue with a system in which he has struggled to find rhythm after an injury-interrupted start to 2025. The poor organization, mismanagement – everything seemed to be frustrating for Lyles. Take today’s weather conditions as an example. A $30 million event, yet when it came to draining the water, the ground staff used their hands and cones.

It felt like the third defeat carried with it a measure of exasperation for Noah Lyles. Seville had beaten him already in London, Kishane Thompson had done the same in Silesia, and now this… For a man who left Budapest in 2023 as world champion, the lack of control at the start line and the irritation with the circuit itself stood out as a theme larger than one meet.

Yet Lyles did not leave the track entirely despondent. When asked about his favorite role in a relay, he chose the anchor leg without hesitation, a reminder of his confidence in closing power. And with Tokyo approaching, he remained eager to defend his crown. “Zurich. We’ll go to Zurich and uh after that, world,” he noted.

Whether he can solve the starts that continue to cost him remains uncertain, but the blunt dismissal of the Diamond League’s appeal suggested that the battles ahead are not only on the track but also with a circuit he no longer feels compelled to celebrate.

Noah Lyles embraces late-season surge with confidence for world title defenses

Noah Lyles spoke on Tuesday with an energy that suggested relief as much as anticipation. The American sprinter, now preparing to defend his world titles in both the 100 and 200 meters, acknowledged how unusual this season has been for him, yet found cause for encouragement in the progress he has managed to secure. “I’m super excited because I’m seeing the progression,” he said in Lausanne, reflecting on the 9.90 he clocked in Poland last weekend, his first sub-10 of the year. For an athlete who lost valuable training time in April, the race represented both a milestone and a signal of what might still be gained.

His reflections were grounded in perspective rather than bravado. Lyles noted that “everybody else has had probably eight, 10 races already,” while his own campaign has only just gathered momentum since mid-July. The compressed calendar has forced him to adjust expectations, yet he did not allow the circumstances to overshadow the satisfaction of moving forward.

“Sometimes you got to step back and be excited just for that,” he remarked, emphasizing that the immediate results carry meaning beyond the stopwatch. That sentiment revealed an athlete willing to appreciate the small markers of progress while continuing to look toward the larger stage.

The Lausanne race and an upcoming 200 in Zurich will close his competitive preparation before Tokyo. He acknowledged those starts as his final opportunities to sharpen, but his outlook was notably optimistic. “I know something great is going to happen,” he declared.

What stands out is not only his confidence in what his body is showing him now but also his readiness to embrace the task of defending crowns that demand both speed and composure. In that balance of patience and conviction, Lyles offered a clear view of where his mind rests with the championships only weeks away.