Noah Lyles reveals three words he said at start of men’s 100-metre Olympic final race

World sprint champion Noah Lyles has revealed the last three words he said to himself in the starting blocks, before he stormed to Olympic gold in the men’s 100-metres.

The American crossed the line in 9.79 seconds, beating Jamaica ’s Kishane Thompson by just five thousandths of a second at the Stade de France on Sunday (4 August).

In an interview after his win, Lyles told the BBC that he had expected the race to be a close one.

He said: “I have a biomechanist who said ‘it’s going to be close’ and gosh was he right.”

Lyle was then asked: “What was the final word to yourself in those starting blocks?”