EUGENE, Ore. — Noah Lyles crouched down, put his palms on his knees and glared on the clock. Not seeing what he’d hoped for, he waved his hand dismissively and walked again towards the observe to have a good time what was nonetheless a long-awaited win within the 200 meters on the world championships.
Oh, however this evening would simply maintain getting higher.
The clock that, for a second, learn “19.32,” would modify down a tick to “19.31.” That meant he broke Michael Johnson’s hallowed, 26-year-old American report — a mark that, for many years, appeared unreachable.
After which, the scoreboard that, at first, solely had Lyles’ title on it, popped up with the names of the 2 finishers behind him. Kenny Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton of the U.S. The People swept the 200, simply as that they had the 100 4 nights earlier.
Lyles pounded his hand on the observe 4 instances, stood up straight and ripped off his jersey. He grabbed his medal from the presenter, then went over and hugged his household and grabbed an American flag — one in every of many which have been wanted at these championships on dwelling turf. The sweep gave the U.S. 22 medals via seven days.
“I noticed the time pop up and noticed I tied Michael Johnson’s report,” Lyles mentioned. “I used to be like ‘Actually, you are going to do me like that?’ Then, that quantity modified from two to a one and my entire world modified.”
His victory got here moments after Shericka Jackson gave the Jamaican girls one other gold within the sprints. She ran 21.45, the second-fastest time in historical past, to beat 100-meter champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
Solely defending champion Dina Asher-Smith of Britain, who gained bronze, prevented a back-to-back Jamaican sweep.
Jackson’s time is shy solely of the 21.34 run by Florence Griffith-Joyner on the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Whereas the Jamaican medalists had been the identical as 4 nights in the past — Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, who gained bronze within the 100 completed seventh on this one — the People put a very totally different trio on the stand.
Fred Kerley, Marvin Bracy and Trayvon Bromell dominated the 100. This time, it was Lyles, Bednarek, the Olympic silver medalist, and Knighton, who’s now the youngest particular person dash medalist in worlds observe historical past.
Former College of Arkansas All-American Shafiqua Maloney, competing for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, ran 2:03 within the preliminaries of the 800 meters and didn’t advance to the semifinals.
Arkansas sophomore NCAA champion Britton Wilson and her coaching accomplice in Fayetteville, Shamier Little, will run for the U.S. within the 400-meter hurdles last tonight.
Andrew Irwin, an NCAA champion for the Razorbacks from Mount Ida competing for the U.S., will go within the pole vault qualifying spherical tonight.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette sports activities author Bob Holt contributed to this report.
Gold medalist Noah Lyles, of america, reacts after profitable a last within the males’s 200-meter run on the World Athletics Championships on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Picture/Ashley Landis)
Silver medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, of Jamaica celebrates after the ultimate of the ladies’s 200-meter run on the World Athletics Championships on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Picture/Gregory Bull)
Noah Lyles, of america, celebrates after profitable the lads’s 200-meter run last on the World Athletics Championships on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Picture/David J. Phillip)
Noah Lyles, of america, greets followers after profitable a last within the males’s 200-meter run on the World Athletics Championships on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Picture/Ashley Landis)
Gold medalist Noah Lyles, of america, silver medalist Kenneth Bednarek, of america, left, and bronze medalist Erriyon Knighton, of america, have a good time after the lads’s 200-meter run last on the World Athletics Championships on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Picture/David J. Phillip)
Noah Lyles, of america, greets followers after profitable a last within the males’s 200-meter run on the World Athletics Championships on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Picture/Ashley Landis)
Noah Lyles, of america, celebrates after profitable the lads’s 200-meter run last on the World Athletics Championships on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Picture/Gregory Bull)
Noah Lyles, of america, celebrates after profitable the lads’s 200-meter run last on the World Athletics Championships on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Picture/Gregory Bull)
Noah Lyles, of america, celebrates after profitable the lads’s 200-meter run last on the World Athletics Championships on Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Picture/Gregory Bull)
