Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles has ended his season due to an injury and will not participate in the $150,000 first prizes at this week’s track Ultimate Championship.
After pulling up during the 200 meters final at U.S. nationals in July, Lyles revealed on social media that he had a “small strain” that led to additional issues, making it difficult for him to continue training.
His name was absent from the entry list announced on Monday by World Athletics for the inaugural event, which kicks off on Friday in Budapest.
At 29 years old, Lyles, who triumphed in the 100 meters at the Paris Olympics and is a four-time world champion in the 200 meters, was expected to be one of the standout competitors at the Ultimate Championship. This meet aims to gather world and Olympic champions from the past two seasons, along with other elite athletes, to vie for a total prize pool of $10 million.
Despite not competing, Lyles will still be present in Budapest, where he will serve as an emcee and “creative adviser.”
“I believe it will still be an incredible competition, and I’m looking forward to watching it,” he remarked.
Lyles clocked a time of 9.79 seconds at the nationals, marking the fastest 100 meters of the year. Following him is Jamaican Olympic champion Oblique Seville, who posted a time of 9.82 seconds at his national championships.
Hosts Aaron Brown and Perdita Felicien analyze the performances of Oblique Seville and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden leading up to the debut of the world athletics ultimate championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The 200 meters event will now include American Kenny Bednarek and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who won gold in Paris while Lyles finished third and disclosed that he had COVID-19.
In the women’s sprints, Sha’Carri Richardson makes her return to the track where she claimed victory at the 2023 world championships. Her primary rival is expected to be reigning world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who will also compete in the 200 meters alongside Olympic champion Gabby Thomas.
View live coverage of the Ultimate Championship on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. The complete live streaming schedule can be found here.