Overview
- Lyles announced he was shelving his 2026 season and pulling out of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship on Monday after deciding he could not safely continue competing.
- He said the problem began as a small left‑hamstring strain that he tweaked in the 200m final at the U.S. Nationals in July and then produced secondary flare‑ups that hampered his training.
- Despite withdrawing from competition, Lyles will attend the Budapest meet in a non‑competitive role as an emcee and creative adviser and plans to watch the racing in person.
- The invite‑only Ultimate Championship features a $10 million purse with 16 runners per track event and $150,000 for each event winner, and Lyles’ absence reshuffles sprint lineups and reduces the meet’s marquee star power.
- Lyles said he will use the rest of 2026 to plan and train for 2027 and 2028 with aims that include U.S. records, another world title and Olympic gold in Los Angeles while cutting back on appearances to focus on running.