BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Olympic champion sprinter Noah Lyles shut down his season because of injury and will not compete for the $150,000 first prizes in this week's track Ultimate Championships.
Lyles, who grabbed his left hamstring and pulled up in the final of the 200 meters at U.S. nationals in July, said on social media he discovered he had a “small strain” after that race that “caused some other things to flare up, and it’s made it hard for me to continue practicing.”
Lyles' name was not on the entry list released Monday by World Athletics for the first-of-its-kind event, which begins Friday.
The 29-year-old, who won the 100 meters at the Paris Olympics and is a four-time world champion in the 200, was set to be among the biggest names at Ultimate Championships. The meet will bring together world and Olympic champions from the last two seasons, along with other top-ranked athletes, to compete for a $10 million prize pool.
Lyles said he will still be in Budapest, where he'll have a role as an emcee and “creative adviser."
“I still think there's going to be an amazing competition and I'm excited to watch that,” he said.
Lyles ran 9.79 at nationals for the best time of the year at 100 meters. Next is Olympic champion Oblique Seville of Jamaica, who ran 9.82 at his country's championships.
The 200 will now feature American Kenny Bednarek and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, who won gold in Paris on a night Lyles finished third and revealed he had COVID-19.
The women's sprints feature the return of Sha'Carri Richardson to the track where she won worlds in 2023. Her main competition figures to come from reigning world champ Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who also is running in the 200 against Olympic champ Gabby Thomas.
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FILE - Noah Lyles of United States competes to win the men's 150 meters event at the Golden Spike athletics meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lukas Kabon, File)
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa has been selected as the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback for Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team announced Monday.
The decision comes after Tagovailoa’s monthslong competition with Michael Penix Jr., who started nine games for the Falcons in 2025 before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in November.
Coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday that Cooper Rush will back up Tagovailoa and Penix will be inactive. He declined to speculate on who the team might start at QB beyond Week 1.
Tagovailoa received more reps throughout training camp. Penix was cleared for 11-on-11 drills on Aug. 22, but did not appear in any preseason games for the Falcons.
“Of course, Mike just getting back to 11-on-11, wanted to make sure we gave him an opportunity in these practices, and we did," Stefanski said Monday. "But feel strongly about our decision with everything, all the information available to us.”
Penix said Monday that Stefanski met with both quarterbacks when selecting the Week 1 starter. Penix alluded to not feeling quite ready yet, but he said he’s “really close.”
“I want to be stronger. I want to be able to go out there and give the team 100%, and if I don’t feel like I can do that, I don’t want to," Penix said. "That’s not fair for this team. That’s not fair for this organization. I want to make sure whenever I am out there, I’m 100%. There’s no doubt in my mind that I trust my knee.”
Tagovailoa started the Falcons’ first and final preseason games, splitting time with Strand and Rush. He was 7 of 8 for 95 yards in three drives against his former team, the Miami Dolphins, in Atlanta’s third exhibition. He led an eight-play, 60-yard touchdown drive in Atlanta’s opening drive and lost a fumble in his second. The Falcons beat the Dolphins 17-12.
Stefanski first addressed the quarterback group as a whole, which consists of Tagovailoa, Penix, Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand.
“Really, really proud of those guys,” he said. “Those guys have worked like crazy all offseason, and they've pushed each other, supported each other, and that's what we'll do for Tua. We'll continue to support him and understand that this is a collective group that is constantly looking to help each other.”
Tagovailoa signed a one-year deal with the Falcons in March following a six-year stint with the Dolphins. Miami is on the hook for a $99.2 million dead cap hit over the next two seasons after giving Tagovailoa a four-year, $212.5 million contract extension in 2024.
“I've gotten to see Tua work from the spring until now,” Stefanski said. “New system for all these guys, and like I told them, there's a lot of newness with our players, coaches and, you know, everybody getting up to speed, and he's done a really nice job of working at it. ... I think he's really put himself in position to go be the best version of himself.”
Tagovailoa's first start for Atlanta will be at the site of his last with Miami. The quarterback was benched for rookie Quinn Ewers following the Dolphins' 28-15 loss in Pittsburgh on Dec. 15.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa speaks at a news conference after an NFL preseason football game against the Miami Dolphins, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
