Noah Lyles runs big personal best at London Diamond League
The American ran 9.81 less than two weeks before the Olympics, while Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain lowered her British record in the women's 800m
Kevin Morris
Double world 100m champion Noah Lyles’s string of wins continued at the London Diamond League on Saturday, where he blasted a 9.81 (-0.3s) to set a new personal best by two hundredths of a second, just 13 days out from the start of the Olympic Games in Paris. It’s the third fastest time this year; he is considered the favourite for the gold medal in Paris. (The commentators mistakenly said it was a meeting record; it was not.)
The top three men all ran under 9.9; South Africa’s Akani Simbine was second, with a season’s best 9.86, and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who won silver at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, scored a new PB and national record of 9.88.
Faster than ever 😤
World champ @LylesNoah clocks a 9.81 PB as he wins the 100m at the @London_DL 🚀
📸 @matthewquine #DiamondLeague pic.twitter.com/iKsXUlzreV
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) July 20, 2024
The men’s 100m preliminaries and heats are scheduled for Day 2 of competition (Friday, Aug. 2).
British record for Keely Hodgkinson
Team Great Britain had an excellent day in London; Olympic silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson smashed her personal best with a world-leading 1:54.61, which also lowered her British national record. Her time is the sixth fastest ever run. Her teammate, Jemma Reekie, was second, in 1:57.45, and Georgia Bell, who is 17, was third, with a new PB of 1:56.28.\
1:54.61 🤯@keelyhodgkinson storms to a huge national record and world lead in front of her home crowd.
She now is the 6th fastest athlete in history over 800m 😮💨
📸 @matthewquine #DiamondLeague pic.twitter.com/v0k1gfNynI
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) July 20, 2024
The heats of the women’s 800m are scheduled for Friday, Aug. 2.
In the women’s 4x100m relay, Team Canada (consisting of Sade McCreath, Jacqueline Madogo, Marie-Eloise Leclair and Audrey Leduc) had a tough day at the office, fumbling two of their exchanges and ultimately receiving a DNF. Team GB took first and third, with Team France finishing second.
For full results, click here.
