Olympic champion Noah Lyles, who was tipped for a possible record-breaking performance in the 150m, has pulled out of the 2025 Adidas Atlanta City Games due to injury.
The announcement came through a statement from the Wingfoot Atlanta Track Club on the eve of the meet, sending shockwaves across the sprinting community. While Lyles will still be present in Atlanta, he won’t be competing.
Details about the injury remain undisclosed, but what’s clear is that the withdrawal has thrown a curveball into both the Atlanta meet and Team USA’s sprinting plans for the season.
Lyles, known for his charisma on and off the track, was widely expected to make a fresh attempt at Usain Bolt’s 150m world best of 14.35 seconds, a mark he came agonizingly close to in 2024 with a 14.41-second run, the second-fastest time ever.
A Blow to Team USA’s Sprint Fortunes
Lyles’ absence leaves Team USA without a representative in the event. The race will now feature top names like Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando, and Terrence Jones from the Bahamas.
This would have been the American star’s second race of the outdoor season following his 400m appearance at the Tom Jones Invitational in Gainesville, Florida, where he clocked 45.87 seconds, his first 400m race since 2017. Now, with this setback, Lyles’ season has been halted just as it was beginning to gather momentum.
Historically, the 26-year-old has maintained a consistent early-season race schedule since 2022, often using these outings to build form heading into the major championships. In 2024, for instance, he raced four times before May, including last year’s Atlanta City Games. But 2025’s campaign has so far been limited to a single 400m, making this injury a potentially disruptive blow to his preparations.
World Championships Implications
Beyond the Atlanta City Games, the injury casts uncertainty over Lyles’ build-up to the 2025 World Athletics Championships, set for September in Tokyo. The American had made clear his ambitions for triple gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay, a feat he previously achieved at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.
His importance to Team USA’s 4x100m relay setup cannot be overstated. As both a starter and anchor on previous gold-winning teams, Lyles’ blend of blistering speed (with personal bests of 9.79 in the 100m and 19.31 in the 200m) and baton-handling expertise has been pivotal. He played a key role in the USA’s 2023 and 2024 relay triumphs, and his absence risks destabilizing a carefully honed formula that relies on sub-10 and sub-20-second runners.
Rival nations like Jamaica and Great Britain, already boasting formidable lineups, will be watching closely as Team USA’s relay prospects face fresh uncertainty.
For now, athletics fans worldwide can only hope the injury is minor and that Noah Lyles will return to competitive action soon. With Usain Bolt’s 150m record surviving another challenge for the time being, attention will turn to whether the American star can recover in time for a potentially history-making run in Tokyo later this year.
