The fact that Noah Lyles had just finished the best race of his life and perhaps the greatest 200-meter run by an American was not lost on him. He finished so far ahead of the competition in the World Athletics Championships final on Thursday night that as soon as he crossed the finish line, he turned to confront his lone genuine rival: the clock.
Lyles’ actual time was 19.32, but the on-field clock obstinately kept showing that reading for excruciatingly long periods of time. Any other athlete in the world would have been elated by the timing because it was exactly the same as what Michael Johnson ran in the 200 metres at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Since then, it has seemed untouchable. prior to now
25-year-old Lyles stood there glaring, his hands on his hips. At Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, he walked up to the clock and started talking to it.
After that, he grinned and told the media, “I was telling it to give me some slack, you know.
How will it aired simultaneously at 19.32? Kindly change that.
Uncertain about the success of his efforts, he knelt down in front of it. After receiving a disappointing bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Lyles set his sights on the record that summer. Everything came together in Oregon, where Lyles used a great start to win a highly anticipated race.
Standing on the track after the race, Lyles seemed to be battling the time. When I finally turned away, two things happened. The clock’s display changed his time by a tenth of a second to 19.31. The magic word “Official” was broadcast from above.
When televisions throughout the stadium updated with the official timing, the celebration of a world championship erupted into jubilation over Lyles being crowned the fastest American to ever run the 200 metres. To cheer him on during his momentous occasion, a strong family contingent was there. Lyles later recounted the list: “Mom, stepdad, sister, brother, dad, stepmom, uncle, grandma.”
The new record highlighted an American sweep in the men’s 200 metres, with 18-year-old Erriyon Knighton winning bronze and Kenneth Bednarek winning silver.
Lyles felt a sense of long overdue relief. He has intentionally been open about the challenges he has had throughout preparation and competition, such as his asthma. He tries to support young children who want to pursue track but lack the resources to do so, and he claims that counselling has helped him deal with his depression.
But on Thursday night, Lyles outran everyone and set a new standard for American track. He has now cemented his reputation as one of the fastest men ever. Only Jamaican racers Yohan Blake and Usain Bolt ran faster than his 19.31.
Johnson, a BBC Sport broadcaster, was present to see the record being broken. He congratulated Lyles directly.
