Noah Lyles Fires Stern Warning After Brutal Paris Olympics Debut

Noah Lyles hasn't been shy about claiming the title of fastest man in the world in the past. But the US sprinter wasn't even the fastest man in his own heat Friday during his 2024 Paris Olympics debut.

Lyles finished second behind Great Britain's Louie Hinchliffe in the third heat of the men's 100m qualifying round at Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The 27-year-old American's time of 10.04 was the slowest he's recorded in over a year. Hinchliffe bested Lyles with a final time of 9.98.

Given that the top three from each heat qualify to the semifinals, Lyles was still able to advance to the next round. However, the result was certainly disappointing for one of the United States' best bets to grab a gold medal.

Lyles admitted after the result that he "underestimated" the Olympic field and the adrenaline that comes with racing in the world's biggest event.

“These boys said they’re coming to play,” Lyles said during his post-race interview with NBC's Lewis Johnson. “I guess that’s my first lesson in underestimating the power of the Olympics. When someone‘s on the line, they’re gonna give it their all or nothing.”

However, Lyles' show of humility came to a screeching halt when he declared that the rest of his competitors should be wary of what comes next.

“To be honest, I think I’m more excited now that I didn’t win that heat," Lyles added. "I’m pretty scared for everybody else right now.”

Only four sprinters recorded a sub-10.0 mark during Friday's qualifying round. Fellow Americans Kenny Bednarek and Fred Kerley tied for the best qualifying time at 9.97 across all eight qualifying heats.

Lyles was just a few weeks off from setting his personal best 9.81 in the 100m during the Diamond League meet in late July.

The former Olympic bronze medalist and World No. 1 knows he can do better. He'll have a chance to walk the talk on Sunday for the semifinals and finals of the men's 100m event.

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