ATLANTA, GEORGIA, May 18 — Noah Lyles carried a metal briefcase for his signature “walk-in” to the adidas Atlanta City Games. That briefcase — later toted by a member of his entourage — followed Lyles everywhere except when he thundered down the elevated straight “street” track to tie Tyson Gay’s American record of 14.41 for 150m.
Only Usain Bolt has run faster over that distance. Lyles clocked 8.70 in his final 100, just as the Jamaican did in 2009 when he set the World Record of 14.35 in Manchester. Lyles’ last 50m was 4.42, better than Bolt’s 4.44, and he improved his own PR — run last year in Atlanta — by an impressive 0.15.
When Gay clocked 14.41 in 2010 at Manchester, it was on the way to his 19.41 in the 200m.
So, what’s in the briefcase? “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Lyles teased. “You have to wait until USAs then.”
That would be the Olympic Trials in June, when Lyles, who holds world titles in the 100 and 200, will attempt to qualify for the Paris Olympics in both events.
But he did show what he has in the tank. While Lyles was hoping to take down the World Record, tying Gay’s AR would have to do.
“Tyson Gay’s a 9.69 runner,” Lyles said, “so in my head, I’m like, ‘Shoot I’m ready to go 9.6.’”
Lyles was pleased with his start, but had to reel in Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, who clocked 14.66 in his first 150. Lyles cruised the last 50 all by himself before taking a couple of bows under menacing skies in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park.
There was no rain on his parade, but Lyles said, “it was a reign of dominance.” Olympian Erriyon Knighton, who had been expected to contest the 150, did not compete.
“I ain’t going to lie, that track was real bouncy,” said Lyles. “You just have to project your energy down the track. A lot of people get caught up in going up and down and all their energy gets wasted in the air.”
That wasn’t an issue for Tara Davis-Woodhall, Grant Holloway or Akani Simbine, who bounced to the top of the world lists; or Candace Hill, who tied Tori Bowie’s American record for 150m on a straightaway.
Davis-Woodhall leaped to the outdoor world lead in the women’s long jump, 23-6¼ (7.17), just one centimeter off her PR and world-leading mark from the 2024 U.S. Indoor Championships. This was the longest wind-legal jump sans altitude-aid since Nigeria’s Ese Brume flew out to the same distance in May 2021.
Davis-Woodhall, who posted a wind-aided 23-9 (7.24) in 2022, fouled her third and fourth jumps before uncorking the 23-6¼ on her fifth attempt. Three of her four legal jumps were better than 2nd-place Quanesha Burks, who had a season-best mark of 22-7¼ (6.89).
“I was kind of struggling on the board, which means I’m really fast right now,” said Davis-Woodhall, fresh off her indoor world title. “So, I’m trying to put some new speed and newfound power all together. I’m super-stoked with an outdoor PB.”
Holloway raced to his world-leading 13.07 in the 110 hurdles bucked by a slight headwind. He easily pulled away from a field including teammate Robert Dunning (13.40).
“Obviously, if I’m running 13.0 into headwinds, I can’t wait to see what happens in the future,” said the three-time outdoor world champion.
Akani Simbine of South Africa posted his world-leading time of 9.90 in the 100 also with a headwind after going 10.10 in the heats. Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya was 2nd in the final in 10.00.
Simbine said he is coming off heavy training and feels smoother in his running than at this juncture in previous seasons. “I’m just really happy I could come out and race on heavy legs and race well and put together a good series,” he said. “I feel confident and if I’m confident in what my running is and where my training is at, then it’s going to be very difficult to beat me.”
Hill made a last-minute decision to enter the meet, then clocked 16.30 in her hometown to edge Favour Ofili of Nigeria by 0.006.
Hill, now 25, turned pro at age 16 to great fanfare, but admitted there have been times when she wanted to quit the sport. “I’m just glad because it’s been 9 years in the making of me putting in the sacrifices, putting in the effort,” she said. “No one has seen it manifest, but now it’s starting to show.”
Aleia Hobbs equaled her season-best (10.88) to win the women’s 100 in Atlanta for the second year in a row.
Former World Record holder Keni Harrison captured the 100 hurdles in 12.67, defeating current WR holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria (12.73) into a stiff wind (-2.3). Amusan ran 12.64 in the heats.
“I’m just still working on my confidence, working on being a faster sprinter,” Harrison said.
In his first 200 on a straightway, Oblique Seville of Jamaica ran a PR of 19.96 for the victory, with Wayde van Niekerk a late scratch on Saturday and Steven Gardiner scratching Friday. Lynna Irby-Jackson clocked a season-best 22.67 to take the women’s 200 as the temporary track was expanded to 237 meters this year, about 50 meters longer than it was during the ’23 meet in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park.
ATLANTA CITY GAMES RESULTS
Men’s Events
100(-0.4): 1. Akani Simbine (SA) 9.90 (WL);
2. Ferdinand Omanyala (Ken) 10.00; 3. Kendal Williams (US) 10.05; 4. Udodi Onwuzurike (Ngr) 10.12; 5. Ronnie Baker (US) 10.23.
150(0.3): 1. Noah Lyles (US) 14.41 =AR (=AR Tyson Gay [adi] ’10);
2. Zharnel Hughes (GB) 14.66; 3. Alexander Ogando (DR) 14.86; 4. Josephus Lyles (US) 14.89; 5. Tyquendo Tracey (Jam) 15.90.
200Straight(-1.1): 1. Oblique Seville (Jam) 19.96; 2. Jereem Richards (Tri) 20.04; 3. Elija Godwin (US) 20.47; 4. Antonio Watson (Jam) 20.99.
110H(-0.7): 1. Grant Holloway (US) 13.07 (WL);
2. Robert Dunning (US) 13.40; 3. Michael Dickson (US) 13.50; 4. Louis Rollins (US) 13.55; 5. Myles Hunter (US) 13.60.
Women’s Events
100(0.5): 1. Aleia Hobbs (US) 10.88; 2. Tamara Clark (US) 10.98; 3. Mikiah Brisco (US) 11.00; 4. Gina Lückenkemper (Ger) 11.01; 5. Cambrea Sturgis (US) 11.14.
150(0.0): 1. Candace Hill (US) 16.30 =AR (=AR Tori Bowie [adi] ’17);
2. Favour Ofili (Ngr) 16.30; 3. Celera Barnes (US) 16.43; 4. Daryll Neita (GB) 16.44; 5. Talitha Diggs (US) 16.65.
200Straigt(-2.2): 1. Lynna Irby-Jackson (US) 22.67; 2. Kennedy Blackmon (US) 22.96; 3. Lauren Rain Williams-Jones (US) 23.18; 4. Junelle Bromfield (Jam) 23.44; 5. Aliyah Abrams (Guy) 23.47.
100H(-2.3): 1. Keni Harrison (US) 12.67; 2. Tobi Amusan (Ngr) 12.73; 3. Cindy Sember (GB) 12.86; 4. Demisha Roswell (Jam) 12.98; 5. Yanique Thompson (Jam) 13.13.
PV: 1. Brynn King (US) 14-10¾ (4.54); 2. Molly Caudery (GB) 14-4¾ (4.39); 3. Alina McDonald (US) 14-4¾; 4. Kristen Brown (US) 13-11 (4.24); 5. Marissa Kalsey (US) 13-11; 6. Rachel Baxter (US) 13-11.
LJ: 1. Tara Davis-Woodhall (US) 23-6¼ (7.17) (out WL) (22-10, 22-10¾, f, f, 23-6¼, 22-1¾) (6.96, 6.98, f, f, 7.17, 6.75);
2. Quanesha Burks (US) 22-7¼ (6.89); 3. Ese Brume (Ngr) 22-6½ (6.87); 4. Tiffany Flynn (US) 22-2½ (6.77); 5. Chanice Porter (Jam) 21-7¼ (6.58); 6. Tissanna Hickling (Jam) 21-4 (6.50); 7. Anna Hall (US) 20-3½ (6.18).