Kishane Thompson to Clash with Noah Lyles for First Time Since Olympic 100m Final

Olympic silver medalist Thompson is set to face Noah Lyles at the Silesia Diamond League on August 16. The announcement was made exactly one year after the 2024 Paris final and just hours after Lyles’ controversial 200m win over Kenny Bednarek at the US Championships

Lyles (L) and Thompson (R) to clash for first time since Olympic 100m Final

Jamaican 100m Olympic silver medalist Kishane Thompson will face Noah Lyles for the first time since their dramatic race in the 2024 Paris Olympic 100m final, where Lyles edged Thompson by a mere 0.005 seconds to claim gold.

The highly anticipated clash will take place at the Diamond League meet in Silesia, Poland, with the announcement made on Monday, August 4, exactly one year to the day since their iconic Olympic final.

For Lyles, this marks his debut at the Silesian Stadium, coming just hours after his victory at the USATF National Championships, where he won the men’s 200m in a world-leading 19.63 seconds, narrowly defeating Kenny Bednarek by 0.04 seconds.

That win, however, wasn’t without controversy. In the final meters, Lyles glanced over into Bednarek’s lane, an act widely interpreted as a taunt. At the finish, Bednarek shoved Lyles in frustration, prompting a tense exchange. Lyles confronted him, stating he "expects an apology." During a post-race interview, Bednarek said, “If you’ve got a problem, I expect a call,” to which Lyles replied, “You’re right… let’s talk after this.”

Also confirmed for the Silesia meet are other global stars, including Julien Alfred, the reigning Olympic women’s 100m gold medalist, and Armand Duplantis, the pole vault world record holder and two-time Olympic champion.