LYLES AND RICHARDSON WIN NATIONAL 100M TITLES AT USATF CHAMPIONSHIPS

Noah Lyles won the men's 100 metres national title at the USATF Championships on Friday with a time of 9.79 seconds, matching his career best. Sha'Carri Richardson won the women's 100 metres title with 10.77 seconds, matching her best time since the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials. Both athletes claimed their third consecutive national titles in the event. Lyles' winning time is the world's best for 2026, surpassing Jamaican sprinter Oblique Seville's 9.82 seconds from the previous month.

Richardson described the win as the result of sustained effort with her coach, Dennis Mitchell. She stated in an interview: "It just feels phenomenal to be back in a better place — healthy mentally, physically, emotionally. And it shows that hard work pays off." Lyles finished strongly to overtake 2019 world champion Christian Coleman, who led off the blocks. Richardson, the 2024 Olympic silver medalist, has already beaten her 2025 season best of 10.94 seconds five times in 2026, having dealt with an unspecified injury the previous year.

The championships continue with the men's 200 metres final scheduled for day 4. Preliminary rounds of the 200m saw Brandon Hicklin clock the fastest time of 20.43 seconds, whilst Noah Lyles won his heat in 20.51 and 20-year-old NCAA runner Garrett Kaalund won his heat in 20.46. Kaalund, a USC athlete, holds the NCAA indoor 200 metres record of 19.95 seconds and has not raced since two did-not-finish results in May.