EUGENIO, Oregon. In the early hours of the night before the 200-meter final, Noah Lyles sent a thanks on social media to Jamaica’s sprinters, encouraging them to help make the upcoming Paris Olympics great.
Then the final arrived, and all Lyles had to do was look two lanes to his right to see that he was busy on Saturday night right here in the USA.
Lyles had to cross the finish line to overtake and then beat Kenny Bednarek in the US track events, finishing in 19.53 seconds, the best time of the year, but just 0.06 ahead of second place.
“I knew he was definitely working on something,” Lyles said. “So I came out of the corner and said ‘OK, I’m fine. I’ve been here many times before. Let’s get to the last 80. He’s going to fall and I’m going to get faster.'”
It was more like the last 20 before there was any hint that this race was over.
Even so, the messages were the same: Lyles, who has only lost once at this distance in a major competition, knows how to win at his best distance, where he is a three-time world champion, front and back; and Bednarek, who also finished second to Lyles in the 100will make him deserve it.
“I’m taking care of him,” Bednarek said. “And I showed the world that I have so much more in me and I have more in the tank.”
Lyles’ 19.53 broke the Olympic trials record of 19.66, held by Michael Johnson since 1996. Erriyon Knighton finished third in 19.77, giving the U.S. three of this year’s eight sub-19.8 races in one single race.
“It’s going to be great either way, but the USA is the USA,” said Lyles when asked about the Jamaican honor. “We don’t take anything lightly. We don’t give anything. You have to take this away from us.”
Lyles’ message to Jamaica came a day after a relatively unknown Kishane Thompson achieved world leadership of 9.77 to win the 100 meter nationals. Thompson did not race in Saturday’s 200 heat at Kingston.
The U.S. has a long history of baton accidents in the 4×100 relay, although a Lyles-led team won easily last year at worlds.
Lyles’ victory came about 90 minutes after another big name in this match, Sha’Carri Richardson, slowed down in the final stretch of the women’s 200 and finished fourth, depriving her of the chance to run in both races. Gabby Thomas earned that title.
Then, as if to emphasize that there are no certain things on the dancefloor, Lyles went to the dancefloor and found the guy they call “Kung Fu Kenny” – in reference to the Asian-themed headbands Bednarek wears – more than hanging in there. as soon as they reach the curve.
Instead of trying for an American or world record, as he suggested the night before, Lyles simply had to hold off Bednarek, who said he struggled in the last few stages and couldn’t push to the end.
All of the late-race drama felt like an add-on for Lyles’ coach, Lance Brauman, who only had one goal for his sprinter over these two weekends in Eugene, and that was to qualify for both sprints, finishing in the top three. .
“As soon as I saw those two had cleared the rest of the field, I thought, ‘Whatever happens here, happens here,’” he said. “It’s a qualifying competition. Clear. Winning here keeps your winning streak going, but at the same time, it’s not the end all be all. You have to be on the team.”
America’s best long jumper certainly knows how to put on a show. Until her last attempt after two scrapes, Tara Davis-Woodhall finally took off from behind the board and jumped 6.64 meters (21 feet, 9 1/2 inches) to avoid being eliminated.
With three more attempts, she jumped 7 meters (22-11 3/4) on the second of them to jump from fifth to first place.
Davis-Woodhall remains undefeated this season, but this season has been tough.
“Honestly, it was one of the scariest moments of my career,” said the 25-year-old world indoor champion, who paraded around Hayward Field in her trademark cowboy hat after the victory. “But I didn’t let it go to my head. I had to stay focused and present. And I allowed myself to embrace it, and whatever happens, happens after that.”
Another sign of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s dominance in the 400 hurdles came in the semifinal round.
Her time in the race where she was just trying to stay upright and move forward, 52.48 seconds, was the best time of 2024 in the race.
McLaughlin-Levrone holds the world record at 50.68 seconds. On Sunday, she will compete for a place in the Olympics and the chance to defend her title.
Weini Kelati won the 10,000 meters in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday night, 10 years after seeking asylum in the United States. Kelati traveled to Oregon as a teenager for the world junior championships and, without telling her friends or family, missed her flight back home to Eritrea to start a new life.
Taken in by a relative, Kelati attended high school in Virginia and competed at the University of New Mexico, where she became a multi-team All-American.
Now, the 27-year-old has won a trip to the Paris Olympics. Kelati held off University of Florida’s Parker Valby by less than half a second. Karissa Schweizer, who was part of the 2021 Tokyo Games team, came in third place.
“I get very emotional every time I come here,” Kelati said. “It means a lot. I’ve been telling them that one day I’ll go to the Olympics.”
Already a two-time world champion, Chase Jackson now has a new title: Olympic.
Jackson threw a season-high 20.10 meters to surpass Raven Saunders, the Olympic silver medalist who wears a mask, in the shot put final. Also part of the team was Jaida Ross, who received lots of applause. She is from the University of Oregon.
___
Pat Graham contributed to this report.
___
This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
