World champion Noah Lyles was all smiles after a wind-aided 9.96 seconds win in the men’s 100 metres at the Bermuda Grand Prix on Sunday but said he had plenty to work on ahead of the United States Olympic trials.
Lyles, bronze medallist at the Tokyo Olympics in the 200m, got a slow start off the blocks but found his speed through the back half of the race to cross the finish 0.13 seconds ahead of Canadian Aaron Brown, with compatriot Pjai Austin third in 10.10.
“I felt that I had a pretty average start (then) my acceleration kicked in,” he told broadcaster NBC. “I’m excited to finally be getting there but there’s definitely a lot to clean up.”
It was an improvement for the 26-year-old Lyles after a 10.01 finish at the Tom Jones Memorial meet earlier this month, with the U.S. trials set for June.
“I see 9.96 – I expect to run that in the next meet,” he said.
Three-time Olympic medallist Kirani James opened up an enormous lead through the final stretch to win the men’s 400 metres in 46.00, more than a second faster than second-place finisher Alonzo Russell of the Bahamas.
The 31-year-old Grenadian hopes to make a fourth straight Olympic final in Paris after winning in London and taking silver and bronze, respectively, in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.
“It felt good, it felt easy,” he said. “Right now I think the main thing too is just to try to enjoy… being a part of track and field because it’s given so much to me.”
Running her first 200 metres since heel surgery last year, American Abby Steiner cruised to victory in a wind-aided 22.71 with compatriot Kynnedy Flannel finishing second in 23.01.
“Excited to get the first one under my belt,” said Steiner.
