Noah Lyles sets American record with 200 meters victory, leading US sweep
Lyles' record is the third-fastest overall, behind Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake
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American sprinter Noah Lyles led the U.S. in a sweep of the 200-meter final at the World Athletics Championships Thursday night, beating a national record in the process.
Lyles, who took home the bronze medal at the 2020 Toyko Olympics in the men’s 200-meter, took home gold with a time of 19.31 – beating his own personal best of 19.50 and the American record of 19.32, which was set by Michael Johnson at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
"I was very self-concerned about whether that number was going to turn from a ‘2’ to a ‘1," Lyles said of the unofficial time which first came in at 19.32.
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"Nobody wants to share a record. I think even Michael Johnson doesn’t want to share a record. So I was just begging it to change."
Kenny Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton rounded out the top three spots, leading to the U.S.’s second sweep of the worlds: first the 100, and now the 200.
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Lyles took to Twitter on Friday to share a picture of him and Johnson on the track after receiving his medal.
"I’m framing this one!" he wrote in the tweet. "2 fastest Americans ever!"
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The Americans have taken home 22 medals across seven days of competition, with the championships ending Sunday.
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"America’s, like, scooping up medals left and right," Lyles said. "This feels great because I've been waiting for America to come out and dominate since I got on the platform."
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Lyles’ time is the third-fastest overall, behind Usain Bolt’s 19.19 in 2009 and Yohan Blake’s 19.26 run just two years later.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.