Thank God we saved the men’s sprint preview for last, because Friday’s press conferences gave us some smoke and Saturday's first round did nothing to quell the rivalry brewing between two of the U.S.'s sprint mainstays. 

The whole thing probably started last week when Noah Lyles declared on Instagram his intent to run 9.65 -- which would be an American record and the second-fastest time in world history for 100 meters -- and 19.10, which would be better than Usain Bolt’s world record of 19.19.

On Friday, Fred Kerley was asked about Lyles. He did not hold back. 

“I’m Fred Kerley and this is my title. If Noah’s running 9.65, I’m running faster,” he said. 

“That’s what they all say until they get beat,” Lyles responded.

A smirk by Kerley followed. 

One thing’s for sure — neither of them appeared to be too worried about Marcell Jacobs of Italy, who has yet to replicate the form that propelled him to a surprise victory at the Tokyo Olympic Games but who remained in the field on Saturday.

Then the first round came. Lyles pressed slightly in the final 50 meters of heat 2 to take the first round in 9.95. Kerley followed in heat 5 and seemed to let off the gas in the final 30m, but cruised in 9.99.

Should we also mention that Jacobs ran 10.15 in heat 6, Christian Coleman exploded out of the blocks in Heat 7 -- like his usual self -- and clocked a 9.98 and Jamaica's Oblique Seville ran 9.86, a career best and the fastest of any man on Saturday? 

All three U.S. men are through to the semifinals on Sunday, with the hopes that all of them will reach the final later that night. 

The only casualty? U.S. champion Cravont Charleston, who bowed out of the first round after finishing fifth in heat 3 in 10.18, an apparent injury following him. 

In reality, there’s a number of people to worry about in the men’s 100 meters on Sunday as it looks to be one of the most stacked races of these championships. 

World leader Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain clocked 9.83 at the New York Grand Prix, breaking Olympic champion Linford Christie’s record which had stood for 30 years. He ran 10 flat on Saturday.

He also broke the national record for 200m (19.73) and is coached by Jamaican sprint legend Glen Mills, who guided Bolt and Yohan Blake in their careers. 

Commonwealth Games champion Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya is the second-fastest man in the world this year with a best of 9.84. He ran 9.97 in the first round, finishing behind Lyles in heat 2.  

Lyles’ foray into the 100m comes from a desire to take real aim at Bolt’s 200m world record of 19.19. 

If he successfully defends his title, world record or not, he’ll become the second man after Bolt to claim three or more successive gold medals in the 200m. Already this year, Lyles has broken Bolt’s record for most wind-legal sub-20 races with 34. 

The 25-year-old has been very public about his ambitions, both on social media and in the media — he is the subject of a new Peacock documentary, “Untitled: The Noah Lyles Project,” and will participate in the Netflix track and field docs-series due out next year. 

There’s no doubt Lyles is doing everything he can beyond the track to raise the profile of the sport — now it’s time to show it on the track.

Fireworks To Come In The 400mH?

The 400mH, for both the men and women, has been elevated from an afterthought to a marquee race thanks to the spectacles displayed by world record holders Karsten Warholm and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. 

While track fans won’t see McLaughlin-Levrone race hurdles again until next year, the Norwegian Viking has overcome his own 2022 injury demons to challenge the ghost of his past self for supremacy, setting a Diamond League record of 46.51 in Monaco this July.

He’ll face stiff competition in Budapest. 

The United States’ Rai Benjamin has settled for silver in each of the past three global championships and is certainly ready for another shot at gold. He’s run the second-fastest time in the world this year in 46.62. Reigning world champion Alison Dos Santos has come back strong from knee surgery earlier this year, clocking 44.73 in the flat 400m and 47.66 over hurdles.