In elite sport, where victory can come down to fractions of a second, athletes seek every possible edge including psychological ones. Sprinter Noah Lyles, never shy about speaking his mind, believes in the power of mind games. Ahead of defending his 200m world title, Lyles reflected on last weekend’s 100m heats, claiming he predicted Jamaican rival Oblique Seville’s slow start after spotting signs of nerves. “I knew he was going to start badly,” Lyles said, noting Seville looked panicked before heading to the track. While some question their effectiveness, Lyles sees mental tactics as a legitimate tool in the race for gold.
