Justin Gatlin has revealed the strategy Noah Lyles has implimented in his 60 meter running that could make him have an edge over Kishane Thompson in the 100 meters down the road this season.
Sprint legend Justin Gatlin has broken down the key strategy Noah Lyles is fine-tuning in the 60 meters—a move he believes will be crucial in Lyles’ pursuit to cement his legacy as a dominant 100-meter sprinter.
Both Lyles and his Jamaican rival Kishane Thompson have kicked off their 2025 seasons in blistering fashion, but their performances have sparked contrasting reactions.
Thompson launched his campaign at the Central Hurdles Relays and Field Events, clocking 6.48 seconds into a -2.0 headwind, suggesting he is already in top shape.
Usain Bolt retired from track and field in 2017 at the height of his career, with a series of factors influencing his decision.
He followed this up with an impressive showing at the Astana Indoor Meet, running 6.56 seconds in the heats before winning the final in 6.58 seconds.
Meanwhile, Lyles clocked a faster 60m time than Thompson, yet some fans believe his season hasn’t started on the best note, urging him to make adjustments ahead of Sunday’s New Balance Indoor Grand Prix.
Gatlin, however, has dismissed the doubts, explaining on his Ready Set Go podcast that Lyles’ focus on mastering his starts will pay off in the long run.
“That is going to help him have a solid strategy for being a bona fide 100-meter runner because it is a gamble for him if he has a bad start in 100 meters, especially going into this season because you cannot run everybody down all the time,” Gatlin said.
)
The 2004 Olympic champion is not worried about Noah Lyles’ slow start to the season as compared to Kishane Thompson who began on a high note.
Lyles is known for relying on his devastating top-end speed, which was evident when he won the 100m gold at the Paris Olympics. Despite recording the slowest reaction time (0.178) among all finalists, his superior closing speed allowed him to edge out Thompson for the title.
Gatlin, however, believes that perfecting his first 20 meters will make him unstoppable.
“He does a very good job at the highest level because his (success) percentage rate is at a high level, but when it counts the most, you do not want to have that bad start.
“He is working on that, and he knows that 20-meter mark is where he needs to be dominating the race and moving away from the field.”
)
Noah Lyles almost never uses this one tactic in his racing that he was forced to use thanks to Kishane Thompson’s threat in the final of the 100m at the Paris Olympics.
Amid speculation that Lyles may skip the World Indoor Championships, Gatlin is convinced that the American is in it for the medals.
“He is on the medal ground, that is what he is doing. Everything he jumps into, he has to make sure he is the winner in it. He gotta make sure he is grabbing that medal as champion. He is on a different path to a lot of people and is now trying to cement his legacy. It is either all or nothing.”
Gatlin’s Ready Set Go co-host Rodney Greene pointed out the differences in how Lyles and Thompson executed their 60m races. While Lyles controlled his race from the 20m mark, Thompson had to claw his way back after a slow start.
“Kishane had a bad start, and he still rolled out the 6.58. You cannot read too much into this 6.5. I think he is in 6.4 shape for real,” Greene noted.
“But you see him kind of motor his way back to the front and dip for the line. Noah looked like he controlled his race from pretty much the 20 meters—it was the Noah show.”
With both sprinters improving key aspects of their races, their rivalry is only set to heat up further—especially if they meet at the World Indoor Championships. If Lyles continues perfecting his starts, as Gatlin predicts, he could once again hold the edge over Thompson when it matters most.
