Seeing a time of 9.96 on the scoreboard after a 100-metre race with just over two months to go until the Olympic Games is cause for optimism. Even though the wind was too strong and no help was allowed. "I see 9.96. I hope to run that at the next meet," he said. "I'm definitely happy not to see 10.3 and very happy to see 9.96," Lyles said. 

He's close to his personal best of 9.83 and Tyson Gay's 9.69. He is still a long way off the stratospheric 9.58 of Usain Bolt, the world's fastest man. But Lyles is the hope for 2024. Noah Lyles, the reigning world 100 and 200m champion, won the 100m with the help of the wind in 9.96 seconds at the Bermuda Grand Prix on Sunday.

The 26-year-old American was helped by a 3.0 m/s tailwind to take the win. He was followed by runner-up Aaron Brown of Canada in 10.09 and American Pjai Austin in third in 10.10.

In 2015, the wind and athlete assistance rule was changed. Previously, the wind speed had to be no more than 4 m/s for a record to be ratified. In 2015, it was lowered to 2 m/s, so Lyles' time wouldn't have been ratified in Bermuda

"In my opinion, I had a pretty average start to the race. My acceleration took off and I felt like I was in completely new territory, running fast for 40 metres after so many 60s (indoors)... I'm excited to finally get there. But there's definitely a lot to clean up."

Lyles is a three-time world 200m champion who finished third in the event at the Tokyo Olympics. The Bermuda record is inspiring as he enters the final stages of his Olympic preparations. But he's not the world's best this year. That status belongs to Christian Miller, a 17-year-old American high school senior. He ran 9.93 on 20 April in Clermont, Florida.

Lyles will be aiming to be the best in the 100 and 200 metres in Paris in 2024. He lost to Coleman in the 60m. This is not his event. On the same day in Bermuda, Grenada's Kirani James, a former world and Olympic champion in the 400 who is aiming for a fourth consecutive Olympic final, won the men's 400 in 46.00. Alonzo Russell of the Bahamas was second in 47.05.

"The conditions aren't conducive to a performance, but it is what it is," James said. "I let the wind take me home." The wind was a friend to the athletes, pushing them harder than they were allowed.

Trinidad and Tobago's Jereem Richards won the men's 200 metres in 20.39. He beat defending champion Matthew Boling of the USA by 0.03 seconds in a 4.9 m/s tailwind. Great Britain's Joshua Zeller won the men's 110 hurdles in 13.38 with a tailwind of 3.5 m/s, 0.07 ahead of American Louis Rollins, who cleared the final hurdle in second. Tamari Davis won the women's 100 metres in 11.04 seconds with a 2.2 m/s tailwind.

On the women's side, Abby Steiner won the women's 200 metres in 22.71 seconds with the help of the wind. It was her first 200 since last year's US Championships due to injury and surgery. American Amber Hughes won the 100 hurdles in 12.57. Britain's Hannah Segrave won the women's 800 metres in 2:06.00. She said.

"I was just trying to stay with the group and then just kick it at the right time," Segrave said. "Having the wind behind me on the long straight really helped." 

Jamaica's Stacey-Ann Williams won the 400 in 51.71 and fellow Jamaican Jaydon Hibbert, 19, won the men's triple jump with a leap of 17.33m. American Monae' Nichols won the women's long jump with a leap of 6.91m and Canadian Rob Heppenstall won the men's 1,500 in 3:53.07."