Lyles' Ostrava World Best
Noah Lyles Achieves 150m World Best in Ostrava, Continues Dominant Outdoor Season
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Key Points
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Lyles’ 14.67 was reported by some outlets as eclipsing Thompson’s prior best of 14.72, while others cited Thompson’s mark as 14.92—highlighting a discrepancy in published “previous world-best” times for the 150m.
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Lyles’ run of form entering the meet included winning the Rome Diamond League 100m in 9.88 seconds—described as his fastest time since Olympic gold in Paris.
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In the women’s 800m, Audrey Werro’s 1:54.45 win came ahead of Femke Bol, who finished 1:57.13 in her outdoor debut over the distance.
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Other sprint action at Ostrava included South African Bayanda Walaza winning the men’s 100m in 9.94 seconds, equalling his personal best and beating Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme.
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Australia’s Gout Gout—who finished third in the 150m—was also noted as having set the under-20 world record in the 200m earlier in the year, clocking 19.67 seconds (reported as faster than Usain Bolt’s best at that age).
Noah Lyles ran 14.67 seconds in the 150 meters at the Ostrava Golden Spike on June 16, setting a new world best at the rarely-run distance. Reuters reported the American Olympic 100m champion beat South Africa's Sinesipho Dambile (14.78) and Australian teen Gout Gout (14.96) at the 65th edition of the Czech meet.
Lyles was blunt about his goal. "Was there ever any doubt? We came for a show," he said afterward. The win kept his 2026 outdoor season unblemished, following a 9.88-second 100m victory in Rome on June 7 — his fastest since winning Olympic gold in Paris.
A World Best With an Asterisk on the Record Books
World Athletics does not recognize official world records for the 150m. That means Lyles' 14.67 is logged as a "world best" — a benchmark, not a ratified record. World Athletics reported the previous mark was Kishane Thompson's 14.92, set in Miramar, Florida in April 2026. That would make Lyles' improvement a massive 0.25 seconds.
There is a notable discrepancy, however. Al Jazeera and the Jamaica Observer cited Thompson's mark as 14.72 — not 14.92. If that number is correct, Lyles improved the best by just 0.05 seconds. No official body has clarified the conflict publicly. Also worth noting: Usain Bolt ran 14.35 seconds in a straight-track 150m in Manchester in 2009, but that format is considered a separate and easier layout.
Lyles Credits Fast Start for Cracking the Staggered 150m
The 150m is unusual because it uses a staggered start on a curved track. Lyles said adapting to it is "very hard." "We do it in practice, but that's without blocks," he explained. He said nailing his acceleration early was the key to the performance.
Analysts noted that Lyles' 100m skill set transfers well to the 150m. The race rewards explosive starting speed followed by controlled top-end running — exactly the combination Lyles showed in Rome weeks earlier. Dambile's 14.78 also dipped under the previous world best, meaning the top two finishers both broke the mark on the same night.
Gout Gout Turns Heads Again Despite Third-Place Finish
Australia's Gout Gout, just 18 years old, clocked 14.96 to finish third. 7NEWS reported that time stands as a new under-20 world best for the 150m. Gout said the race was "the race I've been needing" after a disappointing sixth-place finish in Oslo. He trains alongside Lyles and called the American's run "incredible."
Gout already holds the U20 200m world record — 19.67 seconds, set in Sydney in April 2026. That time is faster than Usain Bolt ran at the same age. 7NEWS reported Gout is expected to skip the Commonwealth Games and focus on the World U20 Championships in Oregon, targeting the 200m.
Werro Beats Bol in 800m, Walaza Wins the Sprint
Switzerland's Audrey Werro won the women's 800m in 1:54.45 — a meet record and the eighth-fastest time in history, according to Olympics.com. She beat Femke Broeders-Bol, the two-time world 400m hurdles champion, who clocked 1:57.13 in her outdoor 800m debut. Bol called it "tough, but I enjoyed it."
South Africa's Bayanda Walaza, 20, won the men's 100m in 9.94 seconds — equaling his personal best. American Nathan Green won the men's mile in 3:49.44, a meet record that broke the 3:50 barrier in Ostrava for the first time since 2009, according to Trackalerts.
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