Sports
Roneil Walcott
US sprinter Noah Lyles made a grand return to the track on July 11 when he won the 200-metre event in a season’s best time of 19.88 seconds at the Monaco Diamond League at the Stade Louis-II.
The race was hyped as a clash between Lyles, the reigning World Champion over 200 metres, and reigning 200m Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, who ran a world-leading time of 19.79 to win the 200m event at the Prefontaine Classic on July 5.
Running out of lane seven, Lyles made up the stagger early on TT ace Jereem Richards, who ran out of lane eight. As the athletes came around the bend and into the straightaway, Lyles and Tebogo were virtually in a two-man race as they separated themselves from the chasing pack. In the end, it was the 200m World Champion who came across the line first to beat Botswana’s Tebogo (19.97) into second.
Zimbabwe’s Charamba Makanakaishe rounded off the top three in 19.99, just outside his personal and season’s best time of 19.92. Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando was fourth in 20.01, with Netherlands sprinter Xavi Mo-Ajok fifth in 20.34. Richards, who has a season’s best time of 19.86, was also given a 20.34-clocking as he placed sixth.
Switzerland’s Timothe Mumenthaler was seventh in 20.40, with France’s Teo Andant (20.69) bringing up the rear in the eight-man field as he went under 21 seconds for the first time.
In the women’s 100m, which took place shortly after the men’s 200m, St Lucia’s Olympic champion Julien Alfred torched the field as she ran a scorching 10.79 to take top spot. Alfred’s time was just shy of her season’s best of 10.75 and was the only sub-11 clocking in the field.
USA’s Jacious Sears was second in 11.02, with New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs (11.12) and USA’s Aleia Hobbs (11.14) finishing third and fourth respectively.
In the men’s Under-23 200m, Australian teenage sensation Gout Gout won in 20.10, with Botswana’s Busang Kebinatshipi (20.28) and South Africa’s Naeem Jack (20.42) placing second and third respectively.
The next Diamond League meet will be held in London on July 19.
