Sprinters then vary greatly in how long they keep their heads down but this next part of the race was excellent for Thompson who, by 30m, had taken the lead and was moving faster than anyone at 40.6km per hour. Lyles, who was now just touching that same speed, had taken much longer to get there and was actually still last out of all eight runners even at 30m.
Race-changing middle
Lyles had made the unexpected decision earlier this year to turn up at the World Indoor Championships and take on Christian Coleman, the best 60m runner in history over the distance. He could not win, but it was a critical decision for what would follow here in Paris. Knowing that he was the fastest finisher, Lyles desperately wanted to shorten the moment between the start of the race and when he was upright out of the ‘drive phase’ and ready to launch into full flight.
This transition was not instantly noticeable during the race, with Lyles still trailing Thompson at 40m but making crucial inroads into the rest of the field. By halfway, he had reached 43.5kph – almost his top speed during the race – which is quicker than anyone else managed through the full 100m. It meant that he had moved from eighth to third between 30m and 60m. This meant that it was now simply a question of holding his form and hoping that there would be enough track to complete his surge through the field.