Michael Johnson column: Noah Lyles' bold statements bring pressure - but that motivates him

It was hard to ideate a script successful which Noah Lyles would not triumph 200m golden and complete his sprint double astatine the World Championships.

He doesn't shy distant from it and I deliberation Lyles does it due to the fact that it motivates him.

I would know, due to the fact that I was the aforesaid way.

I wanted to beryllium the favourite. I wanted to beryllium the 1 retired determination making bold statements astir what I wanted to do. I believed successful my talent. I deliberation that is however Lyles sees it too.

The 26-year-old, who won his first planetary 100m title past week, makes the bold statements due to the fact that helium wants the absorption to beryllium connected him. He said helium would triumph 3 golds successful Budapest - and adjacent interruption a satellite record.

As a result, helium knows helium has to deliver, which makes him execute better.

For others, that tin origin them to execute overmuch worse. But that is wherever it is important to cognize yourself arsenic an jock and what you request to execute astatine your best. Lyles has figured that out.

The cardinal to winning aggregate titles is being capable to prolong a precocious level of performance. It's a question of whether you tin get the champion from yourself consistently and proceed to propulsion the barroom higher and higher.

Lyles is inactive motivated. He likes being the superstar and having the attraction - and that volition proceed to thrust him.

Let's not hide either that Lyles is not the Olympic champion. He had to settee for 200m bronze down Andre De Grasse and Kenny Bednarek astatine the Tokyo Games. Winning that golden adjacent twelvemonth inactive motivates him.

He has besides present shown helium is simply a contender for the 100m, truthful determination is nary crushed helium would not purpose to triumph some astatine Paris 2024.

'Hughes close to beryllium blessed but interest for Asher-Smith'

Britain's Zharnel Hughes has each crushed to beryllium blessed with his show astatine these championships aft earning his archetypal planetary medal, with bronze successful the 100m.

But I bash deliberation helium missed an accidental successful the 200m. Behind Lyles the times were not retired of reach.

While Hughes volition beryllium pleased with his show astatine these championships, helium indispensable marque definite that helium avoids becoming complacent if helium wants to proceed to triumph medals.

The 28-year-old has to proceed to rise his game. He has shown helium has the quality to challenge.

It is simply a akin script for team-mate Daryll Neita, who has had a large season.

After missing retired connected the 100m final, she ran 2 idiosyncratic bests during the 200m competition. She has to support pushing if she wants to proceed to get into finals, and adjacent contend for medals.

Dina Asher-Smith has to fig retired what is going on.

The erstwhile 200m champion's performances present person been precise disappointing and her deficiency of quality to articulate what the occupation is has been is concerning arsenic well.

But, astatine the aforesaid time, she is the benignant of idiosyncratic who does not uncover a lot.

Asher-Smith has ever kept things internal. I deliberation that is however she protected herself aboriginal connected successful her career. She knows however she champion handles the unit and expectation.

That is good erstwhile you're winning medals, but erstwhile you are underperforming it becomes a occupation due to the fact that you person fans that privation to cognize what is going on. What you're telling them is that you don't rather cognize yourself.

In the women's 200m final, I thought determination there mightiness beryllium a accidental that Gabby Thomas could situation Shericka Jackson, fixed the American had tally the fastest clip this year.

Jackson was intelligibly disappointed aft coming 2nd successful the 100m. She wanted to triumph that golden and she believed this was her year.

The Jamaican athletes mostly thin not to amusement galore signs of accent earlier a race. What was noticeable with Jackson erstwhile she came retired for the 100m was that she looked precise serious.

She whitethorn person been a spot choky successful the 100m, starring to that underperformance. On Friday she was capable to enactment that down her, turning it connected to tally the second-fastest 200m of each clip and triumph the golden she truly wanted.

If I had to take my standout contention among the sprints successful Budapest it would person to beryllium the women's 100m. That was the 1 we each believed would beryllium the best, careless of who won, and the last did not disappoint.

That the victor ended up being Sha'Carri Richardson, taking golden successful the mode that she did it, was conscionable unbelievable.

The 23-year-old, who had ne'er competed astatine a large championships, has a immense property and a super-high profile. People person been talking astir her for years due to the fact that of her tremendous potential. She astir didn't marque the last - lone to triumph it successful a title grounds time.

Michael Johnson was speaking to BBC Sport's Harry Poole.