Noah Lyles’ quest for four global titles this year came unhinged after Christian Coleman outsprinted him for gold in the 60m at the world indoor championships in Glasgow on Friday.
Coleman led from gun to tape, scorching to victory in 6.41 seconds, the fastest time run over the distance this season.
It was the world record holder’s second world indoor sprint title after previously winning in 2018.
“You’ve got to put those 10,000 hours in, get the reps in time and time again and analyse, keep getting better at things you don’t do well,” Coleman said about his secret for success.
“I feel just more excited about me being in my prime and having the opportunity ahead of me,” he said of the prospect of competing at the Paris Olympics, having missed out on the Tokyo Games because of a doping ban.
Lyles, who was targeting this race as a springboard to an assault on a treble golden haul at the Paris Olympics this summer, took silver in 6.44sec, with Jamaican Ackeem Blake claiming bronze (6.46).
“I wasn’t happy, but I’m OK with it because it’s 6.44, the second fastest time I’ve ever produced, so I’m never going to be dissatisfied with that,” Lyles said.
“These guys in the 60 really don’t have any chance outdoor! I’m extremely excited for every race to come next.”
Lyles said the indoor season had allowed him to better the worst part of his race, the start, “by drastic numbers so I’m just happy to go back home and apply it to the 100 and 200m”.
“It shows that you aren’t going to run away from away me at the beginning of that race anymore.”
In a good night for the US team, double Olympic champion Ryan Crouser, also a two-time world outdoor gold medallist, improved on the world indoor silver he won in Belgrade two years ago with victory in the shot put.
The American world record holder went out to a dominant 22.77 metres with his fifth effort, New Zealand’s Tom Walsh taking silver with 22.07m and Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri bronze (21.96).
“It’s a great stepping stone towards the Olympics,” Crouser said. “I’m looking forward to outdoors.”
Australian Nicola Olyslagers claimed gold in the women’s high jump, clearing 1.99m for her first global title after Olympic silver and world bronze outdoors.
Defending world indoor and outdoor champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine had to be happy with silver with her best of 1.97m., Slovenia’s Lia Apostolovski taking bronze (1.95).
Finland’s Saga Vanninen went into the 800m, the final event of the five-discipline women’s pentathlon with a nine-point lead over Belgium’s Noor Vidts.
But Vidts finished seven seconds ahead of the Finnish rival in the strength-sapping four-lap finale to defend her title with a combined total of 4,773 points.
Vidts clocked 8.27sec in the 60m hurdles and managed bests of 1.79m in the high jump, 14.26m in the shot put and 6.50m in the long jump.
Vanninen took silver with 4,677pts, with Sofie Dokter of the Netherlands claiming bronze (4,571).
Two of the biggest stars on show in Glasgow, 400m hurdlers Femke Bol and Karsten Warholm both qualified easily for their respective 400m finals scheduled for 2100 and 2110 GMT on Saturday.
Warholm, the world record holder, three-time outdoor champion and Olympic gold medallist in the 400m hurdles, clocked 45.86sec to win his semi-final.
Bol, the two-time world 400m hurdles champion fresh from having broken her own world 400m indoor record of 49.24sec last month, clocked 50.66sec to book her place in the top-six showdown.
“It felt quite easy, it was really relaxed. I’m really looking to the final tomorrow, especially to run it with Lieke” Klaver, her teammate.
“I’m going to take time to recover now as I have a lot of races. I’m really focused. I don’t see it as risky to run indoors. I really enjoy it.”
