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Wannabe rap star Lyles seeks birthday tonic

Noah Lyles, seen winning the 200m Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, has his eyes on becoming a rapper -- but first wants to be at the forefront of the post-Bolt sprint generation

Wannabe rap star Noah Lyles will bid to celebrate his 21st birthday by winning the 200m at Friday's Diamond League meet in Monaco and further confirming his place at the forefront of a new generation of sprinters. Lyles, who turned 21 on Wednesday, has not been home for his birthday since 2013, testament to his dedication to a track and field career that has seen him clock bests of 9.88 and 19.69 seconds in the 100 and 200m respectively. In the absence of the now-retired Jamaican Usain Bolt, Lyles' bubbly, open persona is welcomed like gold dust by meet organisers. Along with the likes of Chris Coleman and Rai Benjamin, Lyles is part of what he dubbed a "very strong moment that's happening right now". "We're watching a lot of people shifting over, younger guys taking over from the older veterans," said the Florida native, who set a 300m indoor world record of 31.87sec at last year's US indoor champs. "It's something exciting to be part of it because I've been watching this happen for a few years, and I felt like there was a gap when that didn't happen and now it is really happening. "I'm really happy to be one of the forefront runners of that generation that's pushing to be the best." But unlike Bolt's decade-long dominance, Lyles reckons that it's unlikely that one athlete will take over his mantle. "I don't think that it's going to be one of those sports where it actually is going to be dominated by one person," he argued. "I think we'll actually have a lot of very fast runners, I don't think there'll be one dominant runner, but I do want to be the forefront runner of those dominant people!" Lyles most recently finished third in the 100m in Rabat, after winning the 200m in previous Diamond League meets in Doha, Eugene and Lausanne, where he treated the spectators to a pre-race dance. "It's really cool because now I have a fanbase which knows I like to dance and there were cheering me on," he beamed. "It's a stage and people like it. I'm just trying to make my mark out there. "I love to perform. I'm in love with performing. One of my dreams is to... become a rapper when I've finished track and or maybe during." Lyles said rapping had "taken over some of my art. It's crazy, I'm investing more and more time, but it's very recent and it's growing very quickly". - Shubenkov clear favourite - Aside from the 200m, there are six other events for men (1500m, 110m hurdles, 3000 steeplechase, shot put, high jump and triple jumple) and five for women (100m, 400m, 800m, 3000 steeplechase and pole vault). The high hurdles features a strong field that includes Russian Sergey Shubenkov, the 2015 world champion and twice European gold medallist, alongside world record holder Aries Merritt and world silver medallist Orlando Ortega. Competing as an authorised neutral athlete (ANA) because of Russia's ongoing ban due to state-sponsored doping, Shubenkov comes in as big favourite having already clocked three sub-13sec times this year. "It's my best season," the 27-year-old said, adding that he had altered his training schedule with one eye on a third European title in Berlin in August. "We built our training a little differently... We've changed the approach, three or four days intense then a lay off for three or four days. It's hard but important to try this approach within the season." Shubenkov said he had no information as to whether the ban on Russia might be lifted. "That's why I'm not worried," he said, adding that competing under the neutral ANA flag rather than the Russian one was "more relaxed this season". "I've overcome those years. Of course they were hard and frustrating, certainly a throwback for me but hopefully I'm back to where I should be. The most important thing is to compete." Other stand-out races include the women's 100m, which pitches Jamiaca's double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson against in-form Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou and 200m world champion Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands. South African Caster Semenya goes in the 800m, and with a pacemaker in place and balmy conditions forecast she could realistically target her personal best and Diamond League record of 1min 54.25sec set in Paris in June.