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Josephus Lyles Hopes For Two Golds At World Youth Champs

Published by
ArmoryTrack.org   Jul 4th 2015, 2:21pm
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By Justin Gaymon // Photo byDoug McDannald

Josephus Lyles hopes to come away with two golds and two new personal bests during the upcoming World Youth Championships.

He became the only male athlete selected to double for Team USA after finishing second in the 200m with 21.35 and first in the 400m in a personal best time of 45.77 earlier this week at World Youth Trials, which took place at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL.

Cali, Columbia will host the World Youth Championships on July 15-19. The biennial competition will feature over 1,200 athletes from 154 countries aged 17 or younger. 49 athletes will represent Team USA.

“It's always exciting to be able to represent a country as great as the United States,” said the 16-years-old from Alexandria, VA. “I was gearing up for making the team all year, so to be able to go out and make the team is a very exciting experience.”

On July 6, Josephus will travel back to Benedictine University for Team USA’s training camp before leaving for Cali. He’ll take with him his deep championship experience as the 2014 and ‘15 New Balance Nationals Outdoor champion in the 400m and 2014 World Junior Championships gold medalist in the 4x400m relay.

His World Youth Championships teammates/competitors include Maxwell Willis and Keshun Reed. Maxwell edged Josephus out in the 200m at the Trials with 21.21. Keshun has a faster personal best than Josephus (45.75), but took second to him at the Trials with 46.06. 

Also traveling to Cali will be Sydney McLaughlin, who at the Trials ran the second fastest 400m hurdle time ever by a youth athlete with 55.28. 100m/200m sprinter Candice Hill and 100m hurdler Alexis Duncan, who currently lead the world youth lists in their main events, will also be competing in USA uniforms.

After Cali, Josephus will shift his focus toward cheering on his brother, 17-year-old Noah Lyles, who will be competing in the Pan American Junior Championships in Edmonton, Canada on July 10-29. Noah ran the nation’s fastest 100m and 200m times (10.14 and 20.18) at this year’s USA Track and Field Junior Outdoor Championships and won last year’s World Youth Olympic Games with 20.80.

The two are nothing short of dominate when they take to the track, and anyone who watched this year’s Penn Relays will remember their stellar sub-46 second performances to help T.C. Williams finish in 3:12.17 in the 4x400m relay trials.

Despite that, the brothers don’t see themselves as special. They claim to train hard and get nervous in the blocks just like other runners. They attribute their success to hard work, regular visits to massage and physiotherapists and of course, their parents, who are former track athletes. Their father, Kevin Lyles, ran for Team USA’s 4x400m relay team in the 1995 World Championships.

Both are eager to follow in their father’s footsteps.

“My brother and I always want to be the best, so once we hit one goal we move right to an even higher goal,” said Josephus. “This year has set us up very well for the Olympic trials next year, which we plan to compete in.”

You can support the Lyles brothers by donating to their fundraising website. Donations assist them with traveling to various domestic and international competitions: http://www.gofundme.com/tcvvnf7  



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