Noah Lyles Claims Fourth 200m Title at World Championships

On Friday in Tokyo, American track star Noah Lyles secured his fourth title in the 200 meters at the World Championships. It’s kind of remarkable, really—this achievement mirrors Usain Bolt’s reign during the championships.

At 28 years old, Lyles didn’t actually start the race at lightning speed. Instead, his Olympic teammate, Kenny Bednarek, took the initial lead. But Lyles quickly surged ahead, maintaining a strong distance over Bednarek.

Finishing in 19.52 seconds, Lyles only bested Bednarek by a mere 0.06 seconds. Interestingly, the two had a bit of a tiff after a recent race in Eugene, Oregon, which was, well, quite a spectacle. Lyles had turned to Bednarek after crossing the finish line then gave him a stare, leading to a bit of a push—something you wouldn’t exactly expect at such a high-profile event. Fortunately, they seemed to mend things quickly.

This time around, however, there were no such drama-filled encounters post-race. Instead, Lyles simply raised four fingers and proclaimed, “That’s four, babes,” which felt both triumphant and light-hearted.

And speaking of vibes, in a related note, during the 2024 Parisio Philosophy match, Botswana’s Lett Tebogo had previously outpaced Lyles, who was battling with Covid. Bednarek had grabbed silver then, while Lyles took home bronze. In Tokyo, Tebogo finished fourth, with Jamaica’s Brian Rebel snagging third place this time.

In another exciting moment at the Championships, American runner Melissa Jefferson Woden made headlines, achieving something quite significant. She became the first woman since Shelley Anne Fraser-Pryce in 2013 to pull off a 100-200 double, clocking in at an impressive 21.68 seconds.