From Zero to Hero: How Issam Asinga Defeated Noah Lyles and Set Records at the PURE Athletics Spring Invitational

CLERMONT, FL – Issam Asinga, an 18-year-old athlete, took the track and field world by storm with his exceptional performance at the PURE Athletics Spring Invitational meeting held in Clermont, Florida on Sunday (23 April).

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Asinga won the men’s 100-meter dash with a wind-aided time of 9.83 seconds, defeating the world champion Noah Lyles. Even though Asinga’s performance was aided by a tailwind of +2.6 m/s, it was still an outstanding accomplishment to defeat a world champion.

Asinga’s success did not stop there. He had earlier clocked a time of 9.86 seconds in the heats, with a positive tailwind reading of +4.1 m/s. This remarkable feat meant that he ran under 10 seconds twice in a day, a first for any U.S. high school athlete, regardless of the conditions.

Before this season, Asinga’s personal best time was 10.44 seconds. However, he has been enjoying a remarkable 2023 season so far, setting a wind-legal personal best time of 10.10 seconds for the 100-meter dash and posting a World U20 lead of 20.11 seconds for the 200-meter dash, which is also a lifetime best.

In the final of the 100m at the PURE Athletics Spring Invitational meeting, Lyles came in second with a time of 9.92 seconds, after clocking 9.90 seconds (+4.3 m/s) in the heats earlier in the day. Kendal Williams finished third, with a time of 9.98 seconds, also running sub-10 seconds.

As a result of Issam Asinga’s exceptional performance, he has become one of the most exciting young talents in the track and field world, and many are eager to see what he has in store for the future.