American Lyles still hungry in off year

Noah Lyles, the Olympic gold medalist, is demonstrating that there is no such thing as an "off year" for him. He comfortably won his opening 100-meter heat at the U.S. championships on Thursday, clocking 9.97 seconds at Icahn Stadium. Lyles expressed his hunger to add more competitions to his calendar, even in a year without the Olympics or World Championships.

"Some people take an off year as a year to not do stuff. I'm winning and still doing stuff. And I don't see that as a reason to stop doing what I'm best at, which is getting out here and running fast," Lyles told reporters. He added that the focus is not on peaking for a specific meet.

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Some people take an off year as a year to not do stuff. I'm winning and still doing stuff. And I don't see that as a reason to stop doing what I'm best at, which is getting out here and running fast.

The 29-year-old American sprinter is among the automatic qualifiers for both the 100 and 200 meters at the "Ultimate Championships" in Budapest this September. This new event on the World Athletics calendar aims to maintain the sport's spotlight during quieter years. Lyles has become a strong proponent of the championships, with World Athletics announcing he will serve as its "Ultimate MC" and creative advisor.

"I plan to win that. I'm planning to stay in shape all the way till that," Lyles stated. "That means that I'm going to show up every time I race." His participation in the Budapest event had been uncertain late last year, but he has since embraced the role.

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I plan to win that. I'm planning to stay in shape all the way till that. That means that I'm going to show up every time I race.