Lyles wins 100m race at trials for Olympic berth

EUGENE, Ore. -- Noah Lyles locked down the first major step in his quest for an Olympic sprint double Sunday, coming from behind to win the 100 meters at the U.S. track trials in 9.83 seconds to qualify for that race in Paris.

Lyles overcame a slow start to beat 200-meter specialist Kenny Bednarek by .04. Fred Kerley, the 2022 world champion, finished in third and also will go to Paris. Christian Coleman, the 2019 world champ, was in the lead with about 30 meters left but finished fourth.

The Lyles win makes the American sprint favorites 2-for-2 after three days of these trials. It comes a day after Sha'Carri Richardson also lived up to expectations and won the women's 100 to earn her trip to the Paris Games.

"Part of the plan, nothing's changed," Lyles said after his victory. "It might be a shock to everybody else, but when you know the goal, you know the goal."

This marks the first national title in the 100 for Lyles, who has long been a 200-meter specialist but who rededicated himself to the shorter distance last year.

He went on to win the world championship in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay last year, setting the stage for a quest to do it again in the Olympic year. If he pulls it off in Paris, he would be in company with Usain Bolt, the Jamaican great who went 3-for-3 all three times he raced at the Olympics.

"If I didn't get third place in Tokyo, I wouldn't have that desire, wouldn't have that fire burning, wouldn't have accomplished what I accomplished in the past," he said. "And now, I constantly look to the future with open eyes because anything can happen."

Lyles, who will race next weekend for a spot in the 200, might even be in the mix to win four medals. No. 4 could come in the 4x400, and if he does that, he would be in the company of the likes of Carl Lewis and even Jesse Owens.