Remember how one of the biggest highlights of the Lausanne Diamond League was the rain! The situation was so bad that officials were using a pylon to attempt to remove water from the track. And now Zurich might be sending the same signals. For August 28, AccuWeather reports, “Cloudy and not as warm; occasional morning rain and a thunderstorm followed by a thunderstorm in the afternoon.” Probability of Precipitation – 91%. And well, this is also the day when Noah Lyles will be running the 200m finals, setting his sights on Usain Bolt’s record.

In the Zurich Diamond League Press Conference, Noah Lyles said, “Well, that sounds good, because that’s what me and my coach got in our heads.” The statement came in response to journalists pointing out that Usain Bolt’s time in the rain, also the fastest 200m time ever run in the rain. Despite heavy rainfall and temperatures around 60°F (15°C), Bolt clocked a time of 19.59s in the 200m at the 2009 Athletissima meet in Lausanne, Switzerland.

That was also the fourth-fastest 200m time in history at that time. Now that the 200m world champion has his eyes on that record, Lestsile Tebogo, the biggest threat Lyles has in the 200m final, is ready to support him. Upon hearing the American’s answer, the journalist joked with Tebogo that he now knows the plan. That is when the Botswana sprinter remarked, “I mean, I can help him do it.” But how exactly?

By pushing him. Let’s not forget that Letsile Tebogo was the one making headlines in the 200m before the 100m Olympic gold medalist returned. And upon hearing his rival’s answer, Noah Lyles made a plan.

“Ok, here’s the plan. We’re going to rev each other. And then whoever got in the last 50 can have it,” Lyles shared. If that is how the 200m is going to be in Zurich, then a lot more is at stake other than just the League title.

Not just the record but legacies as well. If Noah or Letsile do clock 19.59, they are going down in the history books. If not, Usain Bolt would have an untouched record. Interestingly, a race in the rain has not exactly sat in the favor of the American sprinter this season. Plus, it has been a Jamaican who has been the trouble.

Jamaican trouble for Noah Lyles in the rain

Every time Noah Lyles has run a race in the rain this season, he has been defeated by a Jamaican.

The American was all set to debut in the 100m this season at the London Diamond League. But before that, the Met Office had warned that London, Cambridge, and the south coast could receive a month’s worth of rain, between 20 and 40mm (0.8–1.6 inches) in just an hour.

While conditions were not as severe as predicted, the wet tracks slowed down the athletes. Jamaica’s Oblique Seville claimed victory in the 100m with a time of 9.86 seconds, and no other competitor managed to break the 10-second barrier. Noah crossed the line in 10 seconds. And then, history repeated in Lausanne.

The forecast showed a 90% chance of rain on the day of the meet, and that is exactly what happened. Once again in the men’s 100m, Jamaican sprinter Oblique Seville claimed victory with a time of 9.87 seconds, defeating Lyles, who finished second with a time of 10.02 seconds.

Though Seville will not be there in the 200m on August 28, still clocking 19.59 in rain is not that easy. Can Lyles do it? Let’s speculate a bit, shall we?