Noah Lyles Wins Fourth Straight 200m World Title in Tokyo
Noah Lyles stormed to his fourth consecutive 200 metres world title at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, clocking 19.52 seconds to secure gold and equal Usain Bolt’s record in the event.
The American, who had to battle injuries and uneven form earlier this season, showed his trademark finishing power to overhaul compatriot Kenny Bednarek, who led strongly off the bend but had to settle for silver in 19.58 seconds, a season’s best.
Jamaican youngster Bryan Levell produced a personal best of 19.64 seconds to take bronze, while Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana narrowly missed the podium with 19.65 seconds.
The race was one of the most competitive finals in recent memory, with less than two-tenths of a second separating the top four finishers. Lyles, who had already claimed 100m bronze earlier in Tokyo, laid down his marker in the semi-finals with a season-best 19.51 and carried that form into the final. As he crossed the finish line, he raised four fingers to the crowd, celebrating his fourth world crown.
The victory cements Lyles’ place as the dominant force over the half-lap distance, putting him alongside Bolt as the only men to win four straight world 200m titles.
At just 27, he has positioned himself not only as the present star of sprinting but also as a man chasing down one of athletics’ most iconic legacies.