'It's basicallly an Olympic final' - Noah Lyles relishes rematch with Kishane Thompson at Silesia Diamond League
World's fastest man Noah Lyles is relishing his rematch with fierce Jamaican rival Kishane Thompson with both set to rekindle their rivalry at the Silesia Diamond League.
The duo scheduled to compete in a star-studded men's 100m event in Silesia also includes newly crowned US champion Kenny Bednarek, South African sprint legend Akani Simbine, USA's duo of Christian Coleman and Trayvon Bromell, and Jamaica's Ackeem Blake.
Speaking at the press conference on what it means to face Thompson again in a major race, Lyles said:
"It's going to be a fast race regardless, you basically have the Olympic final. Maybe just missing two people, adding some really fast people, it's going to be good regardless. Of course, having Kishane there is going to make it even better."
"It's basically an Olympic final"@LylesNoah on facing Kishane Thompson for the first time since @Paris2024 at #SilesiaDL🇵🇱 tomorrow.#DiamondLeague pic.twitter.com/NGZ9O0OMfT
— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) August 15, 2025
Lyles and Thompson last faced each other in the Paris Olympic 100m final, where the American had the edge in a new Personal Best (PB) of 9.79s, despite both running the same time.
With his victory, he sealed his status as the world's fastest man, being the reigning Olympic and World 100m champion.
However, Thompson has been on another gear this season, going undefeated in his last seven 100m races, and setting a new PB and world-leading time of 9.75s to defend his Jamaican title.
Meanwhile, Lyles is just bouncing back to form after struggles with an injury early in the season, and his last 100m race at the US Championships saw him clock a respectable 10.05s to win his heat.
Despite not running under the sub-10s this season, he's still a big threat and capable of getting another famous win ahead of Thompson as he continues preparations ahead of defending his world title in Tokyo next month.
The men's 100m at the Silesia Diamond League is expected to be a highly anticipated watch, as any of the top stars listed in the field can cause a stunning upset over the two favourites headlining the event.