The 100m for both men and women is over, and it’s a defeat for the defending champions. Sha’Carri Richardson could not defend her 100m title. Despite her first sub-11 of the season and her best time of 2025 yet (10.94s), she finished fifth. Her training partner Melissa Jefferson took the 100m crown in 10.61s: her third sub-10.70 of the season, the fastest time in the women’s 100m at Worlds, and the 4th fastest of all time. This marks the end for Sha’Carri in the individual events of the Tokyo World Championships. Noah Lyles, too, has met a similar fate.

The season was tough for the Olympic gold medalist, with injuries delaying his season debut. Waiting ahead on the track, the men’s 100 final, was the fastest man of the season, Kishane Thompson and Oblique Seville, the athlete who beat Lyles twice in the season. The number went up to three as the Jamaican clocked 10.77s for victory. Thompson was second at 10.82s, and the defending world champion had to settle for bronze in the 10.89s, a repeat of his third place. History has repeated itself for the defending world champion in Tokyo. Spoiler: missing out on the gold in the 200m.

Back in 2021, when the grandest stage of all made it to Tokyo, Richardson didn’t. “Richardson, 21, tested positive for 11-nor-9-carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (Carboxy-THC), a urinary metabolite of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive constituent of c——-, m——–, and h——, above the urinary Decision Limit of 180 mg/mL, as the result of a sample collected in competition at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on June 19, 2021, “read a report by USADA in 2021 before the Olympics.

The Olympian was suspended for a month, which caused her to miss the Olympics because she was disqualified from the trials. But Noah did. Lyles had started the 100m in the trials with a bang, recording 9.95 in the heat and 9.97 in the semifinals, finishing third in both. But in the finals, things went south. The clock read 10.05 as he became the 7th person to cross the finish line, failing to qualify for the 100m in the Tokyo Olympics. Trayvon Bromell won that race in 10.84 seconds. But Noah Lyles had a chance at gold.

The 200m is where the 200m world champion shone at the 2021 Olympic Trials. Leaving big names like Kenny Bednarek (2nd- 19.78), Fred Kerley (4th-19.90), and Errion Knighton (3rd-19.84) in the dust, the 28-year-old ran the 200m in 19.74 seconds, finishing first and securing a spot at the 2021 Olympics. Though he still did not win a gold in Tokyo.

He recorded another 19.74 at the 200m finals of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but this time Kenny Bednarek was just faster. He finished with the silver medal in 19.68s, behind Andre De Grasse (19.62s). Lyles had to settle for bronze. Though his thought of winning the 100m gold in Tokyo was put to rest, he still can get a gold medal in Tokyo by winning the 200m race.

Noah Lyles moves to the 200m after the 100m defeat

Lyles lost his 100m crown to Oblique Seville, but he was not disappointed. Taking to his account on X, he tweeted, “I Got Nothing But The Joy of the Lord in my heart. It has been a very challenging year. Being able to give my all on the race that meant the most is all I can ask for. Next is the 200m, my favorite.” Lyles has a better chance at the 200m gold against Letsile Tebogo.

When Noah Lyles lined up for his 200m debut against Letsile Tebogo, many expected the sprinter from Botswana to take the win. Instead, at the Monaco Diamond League, the reigning 200m world champion stormed to victory in 19.88 seconds, leaving Tebogo behind at 19.97. But the story shifted in the Diamond League final. In Zurich, the Olympic gold medalist surged ahead early, but the Olympic bronze medalist refused to back down.

Coming off the curve, Lyles and Tebogo were neck and neck, making it nearly impossible to call without the photo finish. In the end, Lyles edged it with 19.74 seconds, just two hundredths ahead of Tebogo’s 19.76. Tebogo’s season-best of 19.76 in Eugene still falls short of Lyles’ 2025 world-leading 19.63 from the USATF Championships. For now, the American clearly holds the advantage. So the question remains—who’s coming out on top?