At the Bermuda Grand Prix athletics tournament on Sunday, reigning world 100- and 200-meter champion Noah Lyles easily won the 100 meters in a wind-aided time of 9.96 seconds.
With a 3.0 m/sec tailwind helping him along, the 26-year-old American won. Aaron Brown of Canada finished second in 10.09, while Pjai Austin of the United States finished third in 10.10.
“I thought it was a pretty well put-together race,” Lyles said. “I thought I had a pretty average start. My acceleration kicked in and I felt like it was brand new territory running fast that last 40 meters after so many 60s (indoors).
“I’m excited to finally be getting there but there’s definitely a lot to clean up.”
Lyles, a three-time world 200 champion who took third in the event at the Tokyo Olympics, said the time inspired him as his preparations for the US Olympic trials and the Paris Olympics continue.
“I see 9.96, I expect to run that at the next meet,” he said. “Definitely glad not to see 10.3 so very glad to see 9.96.”
But this year, his timing isn’t the best in the world. Christian Miller, a 17-year-old senior in high school in the United States, holds that record after running 9.93 on April 20 in Clermont, Florida.
Men’s 400m champion Kirani James of Grenada, a past world and Olympic 400m champion hoping to qualify for a fourth straight Olympic 400 final at age 31, won in 46.00, followed by Bahamas’ Alonzo Russell in 47.05.
“To have a performance, conditions are not conducive, but it is what it is,” James said. “I let the wind carry me home to the finish line.”
Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards won the men’s 200 in 20.39, edging American defending champion Matthew Boling by .03 of a second with a 4.9m/sec tailwind.
Richards, 30, ran a personal-best 100 of 10.19 at the Clermont race last week and has kept momentum from the effort.
“It meant a lot to me, boosted my confidence, showed me I have some speed and I can run the 100,” said Richards. “Just try to concentrate and stay focused on me. I can’t control what anybody else does.”
Joshua Zeller of Britain won the men’s 110 hurdles with a wind-aided time of 3.5 meters per second with a time of 13.38. Rollins, an American, finished second and missed the final hurdle by.07.
With a 2.2 m/sec tailwind, Tamari Davis won the women’s 100-meter race in 11.04 seconds.
