DOUBLE DASH world champion Noah Lyles’ quest for the elusive Olympic sprint double began its second phase on the day after the scheduled rest breaks. Following Fred Kerley’s withdrawal, Lyles’ serious competition appeared to be his ’22 and ’23 World Championships teammates Erriyon Knighton and Kenny Bednarek.
Lyles rolled easily through his heat in 20.10 (zero wind), splitting 10.43 and 9.67 for his intervals. Knighton, finally running his first outdoor 200 of the year after being cleared a week earlier of a doping charge, proved his good conditioning with a 20.15 (1.2), overhauling Christian Coleman in the stretch. Bednarek, Courtney Lindsey and Robert Gregory also ran well. Only 3 of 30 starters were eliminated.
The next day, Knighton was off slowly in the first semi, then blew past Brandon Hicklin off the curve and easily led Kyree King to the line in 19.95. He was obviously ready.
Bednarek coasted through the second semi in 19.96, ahead of Lindsey. Not to be outdone, Lyles ran one of the most casual 19.60s ever seen. Coleman (19.89) and Gregory (19.98) followed, in one of the meet’s rare windy (2.5mps) races.
If the semis were a harbinger of anything, it was this: the American Recordholder and heavy favorite was not going to be able to shift into cruise control at any time during the final.
And so it was.
Coleman (lane 5), as expected, started fastest and led at 50m in 5.68 from 8-cast Bednarek (5.73), King in 9 ( 5.76) and Lyles in 6 (5.82).
At halfway, Lyles (10.31) had begun to gain, but still trailed Bednarek (10.26) and Coleman (10.27). Bednarek opened a small gap at 150 (14.81) from Lyles (14.89) and the oncoming Knighton (lane 7, 14.99). But Lyles’ characteristic closing burst in his last 50 (4.64) won the race in the final 15m from Bednarek and ’23 USA champion Knighton (both 4.78).
Aided by a 0.5 wind, the times were superb, the best ever at a Trials for places 1–6. Lyles’ 19.53 was a meet record and a yearly world lead, while Bednarek scored a PR 19.59, Knighton and Coleman season bests of 19.77 and 19.89, and King a PR 19.90 in 5th. Lindsey’s 20.00 placed only 6th.
Afterward, Lyles was sanguine about the stiff challenges, saying, “I’m right where I want to be at this time. We’re kinda drifting into the peak of the season. Coming off the turn, I was, ‘Don’t panic, wait till the last 80, he’s gonna fall, I’m gonna get faster.’ And that’s how it goes.”
“I thrive off the pressure. The bigger the moment, the faster I run.”
Bednarek: “I felt like I had the race, but my muscles tightened up at the end, and I had to be careful. Just make sure not to tighten up, and I got the win next time. Two PRs here, I’m healthy, I’m dangerous, that’s all I can ask for.”
MEN’S 200 RESULTS
FINAL (June 29; wind +0.5)
1. Noah Lyles (adidas) 19.53 (WL, AL) (MR)
(5.82, 4.49 [10.31], 4.58 [14.89], 4.64) (10.31/9.22);
2. Kenny Bednarek (Nike) 19.59 PR (7, x A)
(5.73, 4.53 [10.26], 4.55 [14.81], 4.78) (10.26/9.33);
3. Erriyon Knighton (adidas) 19.77
(5.86, 4.56 [10.42], 4.57 [14.99], 4.78) (10.42/9.35);
4. Christian Coleman (Nike) 19.89
(5.68, 4.59 [10.27], 4.76 [15.03], 4.86) (10.27/9.62);
5. Kyree King (Nike) 19.90 PR
(5.76, 4.63 [10.39], 4.73 [15.12], 4.78) (10.39/9.51);
6. Courtney Lindsey (Nike) 20.00 (5.83, 4.54 [10.37], 4.77 [15.14], 4.86) (10.37/9.63);
7. Robert Gregory (Fl) 20.56
(6.05, 4.73 [10.78], 4.81 [15.59], 4.97) (10.78/9.78);
8. Jeremiah Curry (unat) 20.57
(6.00, 4.69 [10.69], 4.93 [15.62], 4.95) (10.69/9.88);
9. Jamarion Stubbs (AlSt) 20.60.
(6.03, 4.70 [10.73], 4.90 [15.63], 4.97) (10.73/9.87).
(best-ever mark-for-place: =5)
(lanes: 1. Stubbs; 2. Curry; 3. Gregory; 4. Lindsey; 5. Coleman; 6. Lyles; 7. Knighton; 8. Bednarek; 9. King)
HEATS (June 27)
I(0.3)–1. Lindsey 20.28; 2. Garrett Kaalund (Nb) 20.28; 3. Stubbs 20.44; 4. Josephus Lyles (adidas) 20.44; 5. Cameron Miller (Pur) 20.59; 6. Sam Blaskowski (WiLC) 20.61; 7. Laurenz Colbert (Bay) 20.64; 8. De’Montray Callis (Bay) 20.81.
II(0.0)–1. N. Lyles 20.10; 2. Gregory 20.38; 3. John Rutledge (Tx) 20.43; 4. Lance Lang (Ar) 20.49; 5. Brandon Hicklin (Nike) 20.53 PR; 6. Demarius Smith (unat) 20.91; 7. Elijah Morrow (AthTX) 20.93.
III(1.1)–1. Bednarek 20.28; 2. King 20.50; 3. Max Thomas (USC) 20.73; 4. Curry 20.76; 5. David Dunlap (TS) 20.81; 6. Brandon Carnes (Asics) 20.92; 7. Cortez Cunningham (Madonna) 21.61;… dq—Trayvion White-Austin (Az).
IV(1.2)–1. Knighton 20.15; 2. Coleman 20.30; 3. Nolton Shelvin (Tx) 20.53; 4. Chase Mars (CSUN) 20.63; 5. David Phillips (CSUN) 20.68; 6. Dominic Yancy (TxSt) 20.97; 7. Tyson Tippett (Az) 20.97.
SEMIS (June 28)
I(0.3)–1. Knighton 19.93; 2. King 20.25; 3. Hicklin 20.46 PR; 4. Dunlap 20.76; 5. Shelvin 20.81; 6. Carnes 20.85; 7. Lang 20.86; 8. Callis 20.87.
II(0.7)–1. Bednarek 19.96; 2. Lindsey 20.05; 3. Curry 20.31; 4. Stubbs 20.31; 5. Rutledge 20.36; 6. Blaskowski 20.58; 7. Morrow 20.66; 8. Mars 20.66; 9. Smith 20.74.
III(2.5)–1. N. Lyles 19.60w; 2. Coleman 19.89w; 3. Gregory 19.98w; 4. J. Lyles 20.37w; 5. Colbert 20.44w; 6. Phillips 20.46w; 7. Miller 20.68w; 8. Thomas 20.81w; 9. Yancy 20.84w.