Noah Lyles is the WC’s great sprinter king.
After the victory in the 100 meters, he secured the double when he also won the 200 meters on Friday evening.
The time of 19.52 spoke volumes and Lyles once again consolidated his title as the world’s best sprinter.
Ahead of Thursday’s 200 meter semifinals, turbulence arose when several of the active participants were involved in a bus crash on the way to the competition arena. The result was, among other things, that the Jamaican Andrew Hudson was awarded a free place in the final, apart from the contestants who made it to the final via placements or on time.
When it was time for the final to start on Friday evening, all nine runners were on the starting line and the question that everyone asked was whether anyone could threaten the American Noah Lyles.
Lyles carried with him a huge favorite following his gold at the distance during the World Championships in Eugene last summer. A favorite that was strengthened when he took home the gold in the 100 meters and proved that there was nothing wrong with the form.
Wrote himself into the history books
But Lyles, who is a 200m specialist, showed no regard when it came time for the final. After a slightly slower start, Lyles hit the gas at the bottom as he entered the race.
In the end the clock stopped at 19.52 for Lyles, who ran ahead of compatriot Erriyon Knighton (19.72) and Letsile Tebogo (19.81). Which means that it is the seventh time in all time that a runner secures the sprint double at a WC.
– Virtually no wind in the anemometers on this race either. The gauges say -0.2 seconds, it’s something you don’t even notice. After female lopepts, you might have had some hope for even sharper times, but who are we to complain? If you win a world championship by about a quarter of a second, you have made an extremely strong performance, stated TV4 expert A Lennart Julin and continued:
– What I like is that he is a real 200-meter runner. A real 200-meter runner is this one who sails away at the end. It is not only 100 meters, where there is a lot of acceleration, 400 meters is a lot of lactic acid. It’s an aesthetic experience too, with this relaxedness, you’re not hammered down by the lactic acid. It’s about efficient running and it’s beautiful to see.
Stream the Athletics World Championships on TV4 Play
TV4 broadcasts from the Athletics World Championships in Budapest 2023 between 19 and 27 August with several Swedish medal hopefuls and international world stars.