HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORDS among the three Olympic medalists led to a triangle: Andre De Grasse had a losing sequence to Kenny Bednarek and a winning one over Noah Lyles; Bednarek in turn won against De Grasse but lost to Lyles; Lyles won against Bednarek and lost to De Grasse. Go figure!…
THEIR TOP-5 AVERAGES were essentially inseparable: Bednarek 19.750, Lyles 19.762, De Grasse 19.786… In the final analysis it came down to the Tokyo podium and that’s how they ended up, with De Grasse becoming the first Canadian No. 1 since Harry Jerome in ’62…
SERIOUS CONSIDERATION was given to tabbing Bednarek over De Grasse for the top spot, the prolific American wrapping things up with a win in the DL Final in Zürich… Other than the Games, Lyles never ran outside the U.S. and only had a single DL appearance.
| JUMP TO U.S. RANKINGS | VIEW WORLD TOP 50 LIST | VIEW U.S. TOP 50 LIST |
| 1. ANDRE DE GRASSE (Canada) (11/10/94, 5-10¾/161) (1.80/73) | |||||
| 20.85 | … | 3)Gateshead1 DL | 5/23 | ▷ | 1. Bednarek; 2. Brown |
| 19.89 | … | 2)Doha DL | 5/28 | ▷ | 1. Bednarek |
| 20.09 | … | 1)Oslo DL | 7/01 | ||
| 19.97 | … | 1)Gyulai Mem | 7/06 | ||
| 19.62 | … | 1)Olympic Games | 8/04 | ||
| (20.56h, 19.73sf) | |||||
| 20.21 | … | 1)Chorzów CT | 9/05 | ||
| 19.72 | … | 2)Zürich DL | 9/09 | ▷ | 1. Bednarek |
| 2. KENNY BEDNAREK (US) (10/14/98, 6-2/185) (1.88/84) | |||||
| 19.65w | … | 1)Miramar Inv | 4/10 | ||
| 19.94 | … | 2)Mt. SAC | 5/09 | ▷ | 1. N. Lyles |
| 19.93 | … | 1)Ostrava CT | 5/19 | ||
| 20.33 | … | 1)Gateshead1 DL | 5/23 | ||
| 19.88 | … | 1)Doha DL | 5/28 | ||
| 19.78 | … | 2)Olympic Trials | 6/27 | ▷ | 1. N. Lyles |
| (20.22h, 19.90sf) | |||||
| 19.99 | … | 2)Gyulai Mem | 7/06 | ▷ | 1. De Grasse |
| 19.68 | … | 2)Olympic Games | 8/04 | ▷ | 1. De Grasse |
| (20.01h, 19.83sf) | |||||
| 19.80 | … | 2)Eugene DL | 8/21 | ▷ | 1. N. Lyles |
| 19.65w | … | 1)Lausanne DL | 8/26 | ||
| 19.79 | … | 2)Paris DL | 8/28 | ▷ | 1. Kerley |
| 19.70 | … | 1)Zürich DL | 9/09 | ||
| 3. NOAH LYLES (US) (7/18/97, 5-10¾/154) (1.80/70) | |||||
| (20.80i) | |||||
| 19.90 | … | 1)Mt. SAC | 5/09 | ||
| 19.74 | … | 1)Olympic Trials | 6/27 | ||
| (20.19h, 19.91sf) | |||||
| 19.74 | … | 3)Olympic Games | 8/04 | ▷ | 1. De Grasse; 2. Bednarek |
| (20.18h, 19.99sf) | |||||
| 19.52 | … | 1)Eugene DL | 8/21 | ||
| 4. ERRIYON KNIGHTON (US) (1/29/04, 6-3/170) (1.90/77) | |||||
| 20.31 | … | 1)Clermont | 4/04 | ||
| 20.39 | … | 1C)Jones Mem | 4/16 | ||
| 20.30 | … | 1B)Mt. SAC | 5/09 | ||
| 20.11 | … | 1)Jacksonville CT | 5/31 | ||
| 19.84 | … | 3)Olympic Trials | 6/27 | ▷ | 1. N. Lyles; 2. Bednarek |
| (20.04h, 19.88sf) | |||||
| 20.03 | … | 3)Gyulai Mem | 7/06 | ▷ | 1. De Grasse; 2. Bednarek |
| 19.93 | … | 4)Olympic Games | 8/04 | ▷ | 1. De Grasse; 2. Bednarek; 3. N. Lyles |
| (20.55h, 20.02sf) | |||||
| 5. FRED KERLEY (US) (5/7/95, 6-3¼/205) (1.91/93) | |||||
| 20.24 | … | 1)Jones Mem | 4/16 | ||
| 20.27 | … | 2)Ostrava CT | 5/19 | ▷ | 1. Bednarek |
| 19.90 | … | 4)Olympic Trials | 6/27 | ▷ | 1. N. Lyles; 2. Bednarek; 3. Knighton |
| (20.41h, 20.08sf) | |||||
| 19.77w | … | 2)Lausanne DL | 8/26 | ▷ | 1. Bednarek |
| 19.79 | … | 1)Paris DL | 8/28 | ||
| 19.83 | … | 3)Zürich DL | 9/09 | ▷ | 1. Bednarek; 2. De Grasse |
| 19.76(A) | … | 1)Nairobi CT | 9/18 | ||
| 6. JOE FAHNBULLEH (Liberia) (9/11/01, 5-10) (1.80) | |||||
| (20.79i, 20.60i, 20.42i, 20.49i, 20.32i, 20.53i, 20.38i) | |||||
| 20.10 | … | 1)Florida R | 4/02 | ||
| 20.05 | … | 2)SEC | 5/15 | ▷ | 1. Laird |
| (20.46h) | |||||
| 19.91 | … | 1)NCAA | 6/11 | ||
| (20.22wh, 19.94wqf, 20.05sf) | |||||
| 19.98 | … | 5)Olympic Games | 8/04 | ▷ | 1. De Grasse; 2. Bednarek; 3. N. Lyles; 4. Knighton |
| (20.46h, 19.99sf) | |||||
| 7. JEREEM RICHARDS (Trinidad) (1/13/94, 6-0/146) (1.83/66) | |||||
| (20.74i) | |||||
| 20.37w | … | 1C)Clermont | 4/04 | ||
| 20.30 | … | 2)Jones Mem | 4/16 | ▷ | 1. Kerley |
| 20.26 | … | 1)Eugene | 4/24 | ||
| 20.20 | … | 3)Mt. SAC | 5/09 | ▷ | 1. N. Lyles; 2. Bednarek |
| 20.13 | … | 4)Gyulai Mem | 7/06 | ▷ | 1. De Grasse; 2. Bednarek; 3. Knighton |
| 20.39 | … | 8)Olympic Games | 8/04 | ▷ | 1. De Grasse; 2. Bednarek; 3. N. Lyles; 4. Knighton; 5. Fahnbulleh; 6. Brown; 7. Dwyer |
| (20.52h, 20.10sf) | |||||
| 8. AARON BROWN (Canada) (5/27/92, 6-¾/174) (1.85/79) | |||||
| 20.43 | … | 3)Jones Mem | 4/16 | ▷ | 1. Kerley; 2. Richards |
| 20.26 | … | 4)Mt. SAC | 5/09 | ▷ | 1. N. Lyles; 2. Bednarek; 3. Richards |
| 20.40 | … | 3)Ostrava CT | 5/19 | ▷ | 1. Bednarek; 2. Kerley |
| 20.79 | … | 2)Gateshead1 DL | 5/23 | ▷ | 1. Bednarek |
| 20.25 | … | 3)Doha DL | 5/28 | ▷ | 1. Bednarek; 2. De Grasse |
| 20.24 | … | 1)Can Trials | 6/26 | ||
| 20.38 | … | 2)Oslo DL | 7/01 | ▷ | 1. De Grasse |
| 20.14 | … | 5)Gyulai Mem | 7/06 | ▷ | 1. De Grasse; 2. Bednarek; 3. Knighton; 4. Richards |
| 20.20 | … | 6)Olympic Games | 8/04 | ▷ | 1. De Grasse; 2. Bednarek; 3. N. Lyles; 4. Knighton; 5. Fahnbulleh |
| (20.38h, 19.99sf) | |||||
| 20.12 | … | 4)Eugene DL | 8/21 | ▷ | 1. N. Lyles; 2. Bednarek; 3. J. Lyles |
| 20.18w | … | 4)Lausanne DL | 8/26 | ▷ | 1. Bednarek; 2. Kerley; 3. Gardiner |
| 20.20 | … | 3)Paris DL | 8/28 | ▷ | 1. Kerley; 2. Bednarek |
| 20.13 | … | 4)Zürich DL | 9/09 | ▷ | 1. Bednarek; 2. De Grasse; 3. Kerley |
| 9. TERRANCE LAIRD (US) (10/12/98, 5-8/140) (1.73/63) | |||||
| (20.61i, 20.41i, 20.46i, 20.28, 20.49i, 20.20i) | |||||
| 19.81 | … | 1)Texas R | 3/27 | ||
| (20.43h) | |||||
| 19.82w | … | 1)Alumni Gold | 4/24 | ||
| 19.82 | … | 1)SEC | 5/15 | ||
| (20.13h) | |||||
| 19.94 | … | 2)NCAA | 6/11 | ▷ | 1. Fahnbulleh |
| (20.50h, 19.94wqf, 20.14sf) | |||||
| 20.15 | … | 6)Olympic Trials | 6/27 | ▷ | 1. N. Lyles; 2. Bednarek; 3. Knighton; 4. Kerley; 5. Young |
| (20.44h, 20.22sf) | |||||
| 10. RASHEED DWYER (Jamaica) (1/29/89, 6-2/176) (1.88/80) | |||||
| 21.05 | … | 1)Kingston | 4/17 | ||
| 21.11 | … | 1)Kingston | 4/24 | ||
| 20.54 | … | 2)Kingston | 6/05 | ▷ | 1. Rodney |
| 20.17 | … | 1)Jam Ch | 6/27 | ||
| (20.79h, 20.30sf) | |||||
| 20.62 | … | 2)Marietta ATL | 7/09 | ▷ | 1. King |
| 20.22 | … | 2)Trabuco ATL | 7/18 | ▷ | 1. Blake |
| 20.21 | … | 7)Olympic Games | 8/04 | ▷ | 1. De Grasse; 2. Bednarek; 3. N. Lyles; 4. Knighton; 5. Fahnbulleh; 6. Brown |
| (20.31h, 20.13sf) | |||||
| U.S. RANKINGS | ||||
| 1. | *Kenny Bednarek (Nike) | 6. | Isiah Young (Nike) | |
| 2)Olympic Trials, 2)Olympic Games, 1)Zürich DL | 5)Olympic Trials, 6)Gyulai, 3)Budapest | |||
| 2. | *Noah Lyles (adidas) | 7. | Josephus Lyles (adidas) | |
| 1)Olympic Trials, 3)Olympic Games, 1)Eugene DL | 4sf)Olympic Trials, 3)Eugene DL, 5)Zürich DL | |||
| 3. | *Erriyon Knighton (adidas) | 8. | Kyree King (Nike) | |
| 3)Olympic Trials, 3)Gyulai, 4)Olympic Games | 7)Olympic Trials, 1)Marietta, 1)Memphis | |||
| 4. | *Fred Kerley (Nike) | 9. | Andrew Hudson (Empire Athletics) | |
| 4)Olympic Trials, 1)Paris DL, 3)Zürich DL | 1)Jacksonville, 7)Mt. SAC, 8)Olympic Trials | |||
| 5. | *Terrance Laird (LSU) | 10. | Rai Benjamin (Nike) | |
| 1)SEC, 2)NCAA, 6)Olympic Trials | 5)Eugene DL | |||