American Noah Lyles wins fourth World Championship 200m title to match Usain Bolt's historic record
Lyles ties Bolt with four 200-meter world titles at Tokyo Worlds; Bednarek takes silver as Letsile Tebogo finishes outside the medals in Tokyo; Melissa Jefferson-Wooden completes a historic women's double
American track star Noah Lyles won his fourth World Championship 200 meters, matching Usain Bolt's record, at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Friday. Lyles clocked 19.52 seconds, edging Kenny Bednarek by 0.06 seconds to clinch the title.
Lyles did not start fast and faced an early challenge from teammate Bednarek, who grabbed the lead heading into the straightaway. But Lyles surged in the final 100 meters, overtaking Bednarek and holding him off down the stretch. The victory marked Lyles’ fourth 200m world title, a feat that ties Bolt for the most in the event at the World Championships. After crossing the line, Lyles raised four fingers and uttered, “That’s four, baby,” as cameras captured the moment.
[IMAGE2] Let us insert an image here after paragraph two to provide visual context:
Beyond the podium, Tokyo offered a mix of outcomes for U.S. sprinters and international rivals. Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who won the event at the Paris Olympics in 2024, finished outside the medals in Tokyo, with Jamaica’s Bryan Levell taking third and Bednarek earning silver. Lyles, meanwhile, was contending with COVID-19 during the prior Games, where he earned bronze, and his Tokyo performance underscored a return to peak form as he pursued the legacy he now shares with Bolt.
The U.S. women also produced a landmark result at these Worlds. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden completed the first 100-200 double by a American woman at Worlds since Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 2013, winning the 200 meters in 21.68 seconds — a 0.46-second margin over Britain’s Amy Hunt. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
As the championships progressed, Lyles’ latest title established him as one of the sport’s most accomplished sprinters of his era. With Bolt’s record now matched, the question for analysts and fans centers on what the next steps will look like for Lyles as he eyes further Olympic and World Championship success. The Tokyo results also reaffirm how rapidly the sprint events evolve, with emerging competitors like Tebogo continuing to challenge established stars on the global stage.
[IMAGE4] For a broader view of the U.S. sprint program, here is another image from the Tokyo event: 