Noah Lyles has advanced to the semifinals of the 200m after winning his preliminary heat on Monday afternoon.
Lyles didn't put up his best time ever, but that's because he slowed down toward the end with the race already won. In preliminary heats, the top three runners in each of the six heats advance, so putting up the best time isn't paramount. Once he saw he was going to win the heat, he slowed down for the last 10-20 meters.
Lyles' odds entering the semifinals to win his signature event were -650 heading into semifinals, according to DraftKings.
While he took home gold in the 100m on Sunday with a staggering finish in a race where he was in last place halfway through, the 200m is his bread and butter. He has the fourth-fastest time of all-time — two of the records ahead of him are from the best runner of all-time in Usain Bolt — and the American record.
Lyles has won three world championship golds and four Diamond League golds at the 200m (compare that to just one gold at the world championships and one gold in the Diamond League for the 100m).
But despite these accolades, the best Lyles has finished at an Olympics at the 200m was bronze at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He's out for revenge this time around, and the markets indicate he's the massive favorite to do so.
200 Meter Men's Track and Field to Win Gold or Medal
| Runner | Gold | To Win a Medal |
|---|---|---|
| Noah Lyles (United States) | -650 | -3500 |
| Kenneth Bednarek (United States) | +600 | -400 |
| Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) | +800 | -290 |
| Erriyon Knighton (United States) | +1200 | +105 |
| Andre De Grasse (Canada) | +2500 | +200 |
| Tarsis Gracious Orogot (Uganda) | +6500 | +1000 |
| Wayde van Niekerk (South Africa) | +7000 | +1500 |
Odds are as of Monday afternoon and exclude all gold medalists with odds +10000 or higher or medal odds at +2000 or higher.
He's looking to become the first person since Bolt to win the double at the 100m and 200m at the Olympics. The last American to do so was Carl Lewis at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
