Noah Lyles emulates Usain Bolt with fourth world 200m title

TOKYO – Noah Lyles matched Usain Bolt’s record of four consecutive world 200 metres titles as he scorched to victory at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sept 19.

Lyles, who won bronze in the 100m, clocked 19.52 seconds for victory in what the American calls his “bread-and-butter” event.

Bolt won his four titles from 2009 to 2015, going on to collect 11 world golds and eight Olympic titles.

Lyles’ teammate Kenny Bednarek took silver in 19.58sec, with Jamaican Bryan Levell claiming bronze in 19.64.

“I can’t wait for 2027 to become the only man to win five 200m titles,” said Lyles, 28.

“I knew some of the guys were going to tighten up, but I just stayed relaxed and got the job done.

“I am proud to be able to show all my skills. I had great speed endurance. That’s something I tried to build up by doing 400m and had during the 100m final.

“But this is where I got to show off all my skills.

“This is amazing and such a joyous moment I am going to keep with me forever.”

Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana had to be happy with fourth, just a hundredth of a second off a podium place, while Anguilla-born Briton Zharnel Hughes was the only other sub-20 sprinter, fifth in 19.78sec.

In the women’s 200m, American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden became the fourth woman to complete the sprint double at the world championships with victory in 21.68sec.

Britain’s Amy Hunt was a distant second to take silver in 22.14sec, while bronze went to two-time defending champion Shericka Jackson of Jamaica in 22.18.

Jefferson-Wooden matched Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (2013) and Germans Silke Gladisch (1987) and Katrin Krabbe (1991) by winning both sprints at the same world championships.

“To dominate the 200m tonight feels special,” said Jefferson-Wooden, 24.

“To be able to win the double is amazing. The last one to do so was Shelly-Ann – it speaks volumes.”

In the day’s other finals, Olympic champion Rai Benjamin of the United States stormed to victory in the 400m hurdles in 46.52sec to finally clinch his first world championship gold medal after two silvers and a bronze.

Brazil’s 2022 world champion Alison dos Santos finished second in 46.84sec, with Qatari Abderrahman Samba taking bronze in 47.06.

In the women’s event, Femke Bol put the seal on a fantastic season by retaining her world 400m hurdles title in emphatic style as the Dutchwoman stormed home in a world-leading 51.54sec.

“I was focused on myself and running for my life until I made it through the line,” said the 25-year-old.

“This year we tried to change some things in training to get better at finishing the race. I really improved myself with that.

“The last 100m was the best I’ve had all season, that is what was special today.”

Jasmine Jones of the US finished like a train to take silver in a personal best of 52.08sec, while Emma Zapletalova got a surprise bronze in a Slovakia national record of 53.00.

Pedro Pichardo won the triple jump gold medal after the most extraordinary finale as Italy’s Andrea Dallavalle thought he had snatched it with a huge final jump, only for the Portuguese to respond with 17.91m.

Pichardo, the 2022 world champion, seemed to be cruising to a routine victory after twice landing 17.55m jumps. Dallavalle was sitting in fifth and struggling for rhythm, but somehow got it together to land a massive personal best of 17.64m.

Pichardo, though, was unfazed and duly delivered to regain top spot and the gold medal.

“I was scared, but I always leave a bit for the last jump,” said Pichardo, 32.

“My wife doesn’t like it much. She always says I have to give it my all on the first jump, so if what happened today happens I have the energy to respond. And I did. In the fifth, I saved a little bit of energy and now we have a victory.

“I wasn’t planning to use all my jumps and was ready to skip the last one. When Andrea took the lead, that shook me up a bit, but I knew I still had it in me to jump again.” REUTERS