EUGENE, UNITED STATES (AP) – American Christian Coleman edged world champion and fellow countryman Noah Lyles in the 100 metres (m) at the season-ending Prefontaine Classic on Saturday.
Coleman won in 9.83 seconds, matching Lyles’ world best this season, with Lyles finishing in 9.85. Coleman roared after his time became official and slapped the hand of a cheering fan at Eugene’s Hayward Field.
The annual Prefontaine Classic, normally run earlier in the year, served as the Diamond League finale this season. Thirty-two champions were to be crowned over the two-day event, each winning USD30,000.
Lyles won gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the track and field world championships in Budapest, Hungary, last month. Coleman finished fifth in the 100m, so on Saturday he got a bit of revenge.
“As a professional, you definitely want to take advantage of every opportunity that you can,” Coleman said.
“I knew this one would be a good one. It was a world-class field, a chance for me to redeem myself a little bit coming off of a world final.”
