World Athletics Championships 2025: Men’s 100m Heats Set the Stage for Explosive Battles Ahead
If you were looking to the men’s 100m heats for a clear favorite at this year’s World Championships in Tokyo, you’ll be left guessing. On a warm night at the Japan National Stadium, Olympic and world champion Noah Lyles and Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson his fiercest rival from the Paris 2024 showdown, clocked identical times of 9.95 seconds to cruise into the semifinals.
Both men looked sharp and commanding, pulling well ahead of their competition before easing across the line. For Lyles, who only returned to the outdoor circuit in July after a tendon injury, the run was as much a statement as it was a warm-up.
“This is the best form I have ever been in my life,” he told reporters afterward. “Running 9.95 in the first round is exactly what I wanted to wake my body up. I’m bringing something special here.”
But neither Lyles nor Thompson will have it easy. Tougher tests await, and the stage is set for a dramatic showdown if or rather, when the two meet again deeper into the competition.
Elsewhere, the USA’s Kenny Bednarek laid down his marker, taking heat 4 in 10.01 seconds. With a season-best of 9.79 second only to Thompson’s 9.75. Bednarek looks like a genuine medal threat.
Heat 1 brought a scare for Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, who stumbled at the start and had to claw his way back to snatch the third qualifying spot. The real stars of that race were South Africa’s Gift Leotlela and Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi, who both set personal bests at 9.87 and 9.88 respectively. Seville finished third in 9.93 but remained upbeat.
“It’s not really scary,” he said. “I’m just taking it step by step. I’m in the semis now, and I’ll give it my best.”
Africa’s rising star, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo the reigning Olympic 200m champion looked smooth as he powered to victory in 10.07, with Canada’s Andre De Grasse close behind to secure his semifinal berth.
Other big names safely advancing included Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and Italy’s Marcell Jacobs, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic 100m champion.
The heats may not have delivered a clear favorite, but they certainly set the stage for fireworks. With world-class sprinters hitting form at just the right time, the men’s 100m final in Tokyo is shaping up to be one of the most electrifying races of the championships.
