Noah Lyles claims sprint double at U.S. Trials, winning 200m: 'I aim for being the greatest;' Kenny Bednarek finishes second
He did it again — Noah Lyles won the men's 200m.
The two-time and reigning world champion in the event, the 100m winner earlier in the week claimed the men's 200m in 19.53 on Saturday (29 June) at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - track & field, clocking a world lead time and breaking the existing Trials record set by Michael Johnson in 1996.
Lyles' win at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, means he is set to head to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in two events - as well as potential relays - after his 100m win, if selected.
A fired-up Lyles crossed the finish line just ahead of Kenny Bednarek, whose 19.59 was a personal best. Erriyon Knighton rounded out the top three at 19.77, meaning the 20-year-old is set to return for a second Olympic Games.
Lyles next sets his sights on the Games, where he has big plans. Big, big plans.
"Grabbing a world record is one of two things that I still have left to do: one being grabbing an Olympic gold, and then, two, grabbing a world record. It's on the list," Lyles told a swarm of reporters.
It's all part of the big plan, he said: "I aim for being the greatest. It's just something that I got to get... I want to get.”
Bednarek will also run both the 100 and 200m.
"[This] means the world to double at the Olympics and represent my country," he told NBC. "This race. I had it, but I tightened up a little bit, so I'm gonna get [Lyles] him next time."
The disappointment continued for Christian Coleman, who just missed in fourth place (19.89) - the same place he finished in in the 100m.
Did Lyles accomplish everything he set out to here at the U.S. Trials?
"Well, you claim that you're going to go out there and win four medals [at the Olympics]," he said, referencing his bigger goals for the Games in both the sprints and the relays. "So, the goal had to be win the 100 and win the 200. So, job is accomplished.”
He added: "We didn't come in here with the plan to peak for the season, but we're kind of drifting into the peak."
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024. Click here to see the official qualification system for each sport.
Noah Lyles has his sights set on Usain Bolt’s world records
With his time of 19.53, Lyles broke the existing U.S. Trials record, which has stood for 28 years, set by Johnson in 1996. But what about those other records?
Lyles is not shying away from them, saying, "I think when everybody gets to the top, they start to realize, 'What do I have to do to be considered the greatest when I leave the sport?'"
It could be an uphill climb: Usain Bolt's world record in the 200m is 19.19 (at Worlds in 2009). Lyles currently has the third-fastest time ever in the 200m, at 19.31 which he ran at Worlds in 2022. He’ll first have to match thata again, then improve by .12 to match Bolt’s record.
He’s up for the challenge, and the Olympics are the ideal opportunity for Lyles.
"I definitely thrive off pressure, I thrive off big moments—the bigger the moment, the faster” I go, he said.
And while Lyles is positioned to go for both records - Bolt's 100m record is 9.58 - he has the 200 in his sights.
“I say that the 200 is the easier of the two, not saying that they're easy, per se. But for sure, that's the one that I have my heart set on the most.
“It's the one where I think everybody's like, ‘Oh, you're the American runner, you're the first third fastest and that's probably where you can add a little bit more improvement and get a better result.’”
Lyles says breaking these records isn’t always about the shape you’re in: "It's the day of competition, the wind, it's everything you know.”
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