Olympic 100-meter champion Noah Lyles has ended his season prematurely due to injury and will not participate in the first edition of the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest. The American announced his decision after the problem turned out to be more serious than initially expected, Reuters reports. Lyles suffered a problem during the season, which was initially described as relatively minor. However, after the US championships, it turned out that the strain led to additional physical problems and made his training difficult.
At the US championships in July, Lyles won the 100-meter run in 9.79 seconds, equaling his personal best. He subsequently experienced problems in the 200-meter final.
The 29-year-old American was supposed to be one of the big stars of the new tournament in Budapest. The Ultimate Championships will be held for the first time from September 11-13 and will offer a record $10 million in prize money for track and field.
Although he won't be competing, Lyles plans to attend the event and support the other athletes. He's already looking ahead to his next big goals - the 2027 World Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.