US sprint star Noah Lyles has brushed aside concerns about bad weather ahead of Thursday’s Diamond League finals in Zurich, where he will face Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo in a much-anticipated 200m showdown.
Forecasts suggest the Swiss city will see a sharp drop in temperature along with heavy rain for the finale at Letzigrund Stadium, but the Olympic 100m champion insists conditions won’t faze him.
“I don’t think the rain is really a disadvantage or advantage,” Lyles said. “If you keep your focus, you’ll be fine.”
Lyles has recent experience running in wet conditions, having finished second in a rain-hit 100m in Lausanne last week. There, he struggled out of the blocks and trailed Jamaican Oblique Seville, who stormed to victory in 9.87 seconds despite the downpour. Lyles managed 10.02, later admitting:
“It was just a bad start and bad reaction, not really the rain. Oblique showed you can run fast in those conditions.”
Reminded that Usain Bolt once clocked 19.59 in a torrential Lausanne 200m back in 2009, Lyles smiled: “That’s encouraging that’s exactly what me and my coach are thinking about!”
The American will once again face reigning Olympic 200m champion Tebogo, who took gold in Paris while Lyles claimed 100m victory but settled for bronze in the longer sprint. Asked about his rival’s strengths, Lyles praised Tebogo’s range: “He’s extremely versatile. Not many athletes can compete effectively from 100 up to 400, but he can.”
Tebogo is chasing his first Diamond League crown, while Lyles aims to secure a record sixth title after recent 100m defeats to Seville and Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson. The Botswanan, meanwhile, acknowledged Lyles’ devastating finishing speed: “His top-end is unbelievable. To catch and pass him takes a lot out of anyone.”
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