SAINT-DENIS, France — As impossible as it may seem, for someone so declarative about his dominance, Noah Lyles was caught slipping.
In his Olympic debut in the 100-meter dash, Lyles ran 10.04, his slowest time in over a year. He still qualified for the semifinals, finishing second in his heat to Great Britain’s burgeoning mulleted star Louie Hinchliffe. But he got a critical lesson in Olympic sprinting.
“These boys said they’re coming to play,” Lyles said afterward. “I guess that’s my first lesson in underestimating the power of the Olympics. When someone‘s on the line, they’re gonna give it their all or nothing.”
That someone was Hinchliffe, who got a great start and led the whole way. Lyles, who said he didn’t want to overdo it, usually makes up deficits by the final 20 meters. But he couldn’t catch Hinchliffe.
Lyles only clocked 10 seconds or slower once this year, a 10.01 back in June in Jamaica — also the last time he most a race. He’s looked dominant since, including a personal best 9.81 last month in London.
So it’s been a while since he hasn’t looked elite.
Lyles was beaten by Team GB’s Hinchcliffe (Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images)
But Lyles, ever the P.T. Barnum disciple, turned his mediocre showing Saturday into a plot twist.
“To be honest,” he told NBC, “I think I’m more excited now that I didn’t win that heat. I’m pretty scared for everybody else right now.”
The other Americans handled business. Kenny Bednarek won his heat with the best time of any in Round 1: 9.97.
“I wanted to get out to a better start,” Bednarek said. “But it was just the first race, getting the jitters out. … Just to be able to take it easy and still run a (9.87), I’m happy about that.”
In the following heat, Fred Kerley matched him.
The other elite runners in the world flexed their might. Jamaica’s Oblique Seville (9.99) and Kishane Thompson (10.0), Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (10.01), Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme (9.98), and Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes (10.03) also bested Lyles, who posted the 12th-fastest time.
Lyles — the reigning world champion and No. 1 ranked in the world — finds himself in a new ballgame on the massive Olympic stage. The men’s 100 semifinals and finals are on Sunday at Stade de France.
GO DEEPER
Noah Lyles is talking the talk ahead of the Olympics, now it’s time to do the rest
(Top photo: Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)
