Noah Lyles finishes 2nd in Olympic 100-meter semifinal heat but advances to race for gold

SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Noah Lyles finished behind Jamaica’s Oblique Seville in the semifinal of the Olympic 100 meters Sunday but still advanced for a rematch in the gold-medal race later in the evening.

Seville is now 2-0 this season against Lyles after finishing in 9.81 seconds, good for a .02-second margin over the American champion.

Seville got off to a stronger start than Lyles, and the American made up ground over the last 40 meters but couldn’t completely close the gap. Lyles also lost his opening-round heat — to Britain’s Louie Hinchliffe on Saturday. Hinchliffe finished third in the semifinal and did not advance.

Joining Lyles in the eight-man final will be Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, who won his semifinal in 9.80 seconds, the fastest time in the three semifinal. Thompson also has the world’s best time this year at 9.77; he and Seville are trying to put Jamaica back on top of the Olympic podium for the first time since Usain Bolt retired after the 2016 Games.