Ackeem Blake, Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman in the 60m final in Glasgow (© Dan Vernon)
Noah Lyles, world 100m and 200m champion, did all he knew to try and win a first world indoor 60m title at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 on Friday (1). But for all his confidence, buoyancy, charm and talent he could not get round the fact that his US rival Christian Coleman completed the distance in 6.41, the fastest time run this season and 0.2 faster than he had ever recorded.
It would be tempting, but unfair, to say that while the exuberant Lyles talked the talk, the relatively taciturn Coleman walked the walk.
A silver medal in 6.44, just 0.01 off the personal best he had produced to beat Coleman to the US indoor title earlier this year, represented a serious statement of intent for a runner who has come down to this distance from 200m running, where he has three world titles to his name.
“It was a great run,” Lyles insisted. “Right up among my best runs. To run 6.44, I am very impressed with myself. I’ve run three rounds today. And what a great indoor season!
“The thing is – this is the weakest part of my race.”
He later added: “It feels like one of my best performances - 6.44, I'm never going to be dissatisfied with that. Last year I was running 6.51 and this year I've put down multiple 6.4s, and these are not small 6.4s either, I'm deep into 6.4 territory and talking about 6.3 at some point.
“This is all with training that hasn't really changed. It's so exciting because now I finally get to do an outdoor season. The 60m is not my favourite race but now you can't say I'm not one of the greats in it. I'm very excited for Paris because it has all my favourite events.”
Coleman commented: “I had a lot of confidence in myself coming in. You have to feel confident in yourself. I set my mind on letting my body do what I have been doing in practice and I came out with a win. I can look forward to the rest of the summer. I've got so many things to work on and I am just looking forward to these opportunities When you get these opportunities, you have got to take them.”
Lyles will surely benefit from his boldness later this season as he strives to add Olympic titles to those he has already earned at the World Athletics Championships.
What this means for the Olympic ambition of Coleman, who won the world 100m title in 2019, is less certain.
What is not in doubt is that the man who set the world 60m record of 6.34 in 2018, the year he won the world indoor title, has reclaimed his natural territory.
His winning time matched what he ran at the last World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, although on that occasion he lost narrowly to Italy’s Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs.
Bronze in Glasgow went to Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake in 6.46, with Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, who had lived dangerously in the heats and semifinals by drifting towards the lane to his right, finishing fourth in 6.56.
Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme, who had set consecutive national records of 6.54 and 6.52 in reaching the final, was unable to progress further, settling for sixth place in 6.68.
Coleman had sent out an ominous warning with a semifinal victory that looked good from start to finish, ending in a time of 6.43, thus equalling the fastest time run up to that point of the season.
Lyles worked the crowd as he was introduced ahead of a semifinal which took the form of a large question mark as far as he was concerned. How would he respond to the pumped-up earlier contribution of his diminutive fellow-US rival?
The response was there – and after winning in 6.47 he produced the first genuine grin of the day. Coleman still looked favourite – but Lyles was heading in the right direction.
It seemed, however, that the only way he might win would be to put doubt into Coleman’s mind. Standing next to him before the final began, he gave it 100%, roaring and bouncing and grinning next to his impassive rival.
But very soon afterwards it was Coleman, watched from the stands by his parents, who found himself centre stage.
In the wake of his victory, he walked back down the newly-laid Glasgow Arena track, shrugged, and then bowed.
Lyles, first congratulating the Stars-and-Stripes bedecked shot put gold medallist Ryan Crouser, continued walking to offer his congratulations to the winner.
Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics
| MEN'S 60m MEDALLISTS | ||
| 🥇 | Christian Coleman 🇺🇸 USA | 6.41 WL |
| 🥈 | Noah Lyles 🇺🇸 USA | 6.44 |
| 🥉 | Ackeem Blake 🇯🇲 JAM | 6.46 |
| Full results | ||
