Olympic champion Noah Lyles made it crystal clear he has no intention of coasting through a non-championship season, storming to victory in the 100 meters at the U.S. Championships on Friday with a world-leading time of 9.79 seconds at Icahn Stadium in New York.
Lyles burst from the starting blocks and never looked back, crossing the finish line 0.09 seconds ahead of Ronnie Baker. Kenny Bednarek finished third in front of the New York crowd at Randall’s Island.
The winning time matched Lyles’ personal best — the same mark he set during the memorable 100m final at the Paris Games two years ago. After the race, Lyles delivered a pointed message to anyone who thought he might take it easy this year.
“Just because it is an off year doesn’t mean that I plan to run slow,” Lyles said. “I’m not even doing what I know I can do. We’re not at peak. We’re not at perfect technique. We’re nowhere near that. So I’m going to keep asking for more. Why settle for less?”
Lyles is also scheduled to compete in the 200 meters on Saturday.
The U.S. Championships typically function as a qualifying event for the World Championships or the Olympics, and without either of those major competitions on this year’s schedule, some of the usual stakes were absent. Still, Friday’s action delivered plenty of star power for fans who made the trip out to Randall’s Island.
The 2023 world champion Sha’Carri Richardson put on a dominant performance in the women’s 100m, breezing through the semi-finals with a wind-aided 10.78 before claiming the title in 10.77. Kayla White finished a distant second in 10.90, and Tamari Davis was third in 11.00. Richardson moved past reporters nearly as fast as she crossed the finish line.
In the men’s 800m, 17-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus — who won the world indoor championship over the distance earlier this year — turned heads by winning his opening heat in 1:45.83. He struck an upbeat tone when speaking with reporters ahead of Sunday’s final.
“We executed our race honestly perfect for the first round. And you know, I felt really good at 1:45. Now it feels not so bad, so that’s a really good sign,” Lutkenhaus said.
Wes Ferguson posted the fastest overall time across all 800m heats, finishing in 1:45.17.
On the women’s side of the 800m, 2022 under-20 champion Roisin Willis led the pack with a time of 1:59.83, while Meghan Hunter was second-quickest in 2:00.38.
In the women’s 400m opening round, Aaliyah Butler advanced after running 50.53, joined by her Paris Olympic 4×400 relay teammate Alexis Holmes, who posted a 51.71.
World indoor silver medallist Khaleb McRae dominated the men’s 400m first round in 44.65, nearly half a second faster than Chris Bailey, who was the next-quickest across the three heats.
However, Olympic champion Quincy Hall was unable to advance to Saturday’s 400m final, finishing with a 46.47 in just his sixth start since the Paris Games. Injuries have largely sidelined Hall throughout the 2025 season.
The men’s and women’s 400m finals are both scheduled for Saturday.
