“This idea has been circulating in my head, if there was an option to get any color medal in the 100m but then break the world record in the 200m, which one would I choose,” Lyles said. “I don’t know why that idea has been circulating in my head but it’s like, ‘Dang. I might take that world record.’”

Thank You, Jacory Patterson. Sincerely, Vernon Norwood Fans

Jacory Patterson, who quit his job delivering packages and working overnight for UPS earlier in the season, has slotted himself as a gold medal favorite for the World Championships with a 43.85 victory and personal best in Zurich. Patterson is riding a four-race win streak and his last loss, a third place run at the Pre Classic, was still a strong showing.

As a result of Patterson’s victory, a fourth individual spot for the 400m at Worlds was unlocked for Team USA and veteran Vernon Norwood (who was fourth at the U.S. Championships) will get it. After finishing fourth at the World Championships in 2023, Norwood will again get a chance to star solo in the event after mostly being viewed as the leader of the relay teams in 2024. Norwood beat Olympic bronze medalist Muzala Samukonga in Zurich, and with Olympic champion Quincy Hall out due to injury, the event is a bit more wide open.

(If Matthew Hudson-Smith reads this, he will continue to call me out for my American bias in the event.)

Salwa Eid-Naser Isn’t Peaking Too Early

The Olympic silver medalist raised eyebrows back in April with her 48.94 in late March and then took down the Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino with a 48.67 at Grand Slam Track: Kingston. It was her first career victory over Paulino and so many thought the “rivalry” would trade blows throughout the season. Paulino went on to beat Naser in their next four 400m meetings. But in the Diamond League final, the Bahranian star shook up the rivalry again by hanging on for a 48.70 victory over Paulino (49.23) for a slight momentum swing heading into the World Championships. It was Paulino’s first Diamond League 400m loss since July 2023. The duel in Tokyo will only get more interesting once you insert Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone into the mix.

Pay Attention To Audrey Werro

While Keely Hodgkinson’s dominance snatched the headlines in Lausanne, Swiss star Audrey Werro ran a solid 1:57.34 for second and then impressed many with a 1:56.29 at her national championships for a personal best and the second-fastest time in the world this year. She estimated she could run 1:55 with a pacemaker and did just that, clocking a 1:55.91 to win the Diamond League title in front of a home crowd. The 21-year-old appears comfortable going out in 56 for the first lap and that will be key for whoever is leading the chase pack on Hodgkinson, if she employs a similar strategy to what won her gold in Paris.

Georgia Hunter Bell, who has officially decided to run only the 800m in Tokyo, took Werro to the finish line and came out with the first sub-1:56 of her career as well, running 1:55.96. While Werro is inarguably a medal threat, the chances of two British medals in the 800m look better by the day.

No Magic For Josh Hoey

World Indoor champion Josh Hoey entered the meet looking to repeat his Lausanne upset of Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, but it was not meant to be. Wanyonyi got after this one aggressively and then hung on for the narrow victory over Great Britain’s Max Burgin in 1:42.37 to 1:42.42 – with Olympic silver medalist Marco Arop also on their heels in 1:42.57. Hoey, who did his best to cover Wanyonyi’s move, faded hard in the final 100m and finished 8th in 1:44.25.

Hoey, who owns the second-fastest time in the world this year, will watch the World Championships from home. It would’ve been an epic redemption to get the Diamond League wild card after his fourth place finish at the U.S. Championships but alas, the talent in this event is just too strong. It’s been a great season for Hoey regardless, breaking the American record in the 800m and 1000m indoors, claiming a gold medal at World Indoors, and then moving to No. 2 on the U.S. all-time list. Hoey opted not to take a break following last year’s U.S. Olympic Trials, but he’s got time now for some well-deserved rest.

How Will Jess Hull Recover From This?

In the absence of Faith Kipyegon and Gudaf Tsegay, Olympic silver medalist Jess Hull was the heavy favorite in the 1500m for the Diamond League final since her season’s best was nearly four seconds faster than anyone else. She did her best to press from the front and run away from the field, but she ran out of gas and faltered badly in the final 100m and was nipped at the finish line by Nelly Chepchirchir. Hull’s first Diamond League 1500m victory will have to wait.

Hull stayed on the ground for a while after the race, probably due to a combination of fatigue and the emotional effort.

“I’ve never felt like that before. It was a bit of a strange one,” she told CITIUS MAG after the race. “I kind of lost my legs in that last little bit, but I think if anything it tells me I’ve come in pretty loaded and it’s probably time to taper.” 

On our post-race podcast, Mac Fleet mentioned that it’s less about how she feels immediately after the race but to instead monitor how the recovery from such a hard effort may affect the training calendar over the next two weeks. The taper is on.