Noah Lyles crushed the men’s 200-meter to snap Michael Johnson’s national record Thursday night at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene. Breaking that record also means he is now the fastest man in United States history in the 200 meter dash.
The 25-year-old Lyles crossed the finish line in 19.31 seconds — a new personal best — breaking the previous record by .01 seconds set by Johnson at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. The mark ranks No. 3 all-time in the men’s 200.
Lyles’s Team USA teammates, Kenny Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton, took silver and bronze in the race, respectively. Bednarek finished with a time of 19.77 and Knighton was timed at 19.80.
It was an emphatic finish for Team USA on its home turf at Oregon22. The reaction to Lyles’ record-setting performance poured in from around the sports world on social media congratulating him on the historic feat:
Noah Lyles in absolute blowout. He ran 19.31 seconds, which broke the the American record of Michael Johnson has held since the 1996 Olympics. Wow.
— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) July 22, 2022
Noah Lyles 19.32!!!!!!!!!! HOLY BUTTERMILK PANCAKES!!!
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) July 22, 2022
Congrats to USA men for sweeping the podium in the men’s 200 finals and a special congrats to Noah Lyles for breaking Michael Johnson’s American record in the 200 of 19.32 in a winning time of 19.31. USA swept 100/200 finals. Hopefully a sign of more to come 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) July 22, 2022
Now… this is the same Noah Lyles y’all said don’t need to be on the 4×1. And that’s crazy.
— BIANCA KNIGHT, OLY (@MsBiancaAK) July 22, 2022
Congratulations to Noah Lyles for breaking the Men’s 200M record!! 19.31?? Noah, you’re a baaadddddd man! @LylesNoah
🔥🔥🔥🥵— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) July 22, 2022
Noah Lyles wins his second straight world 200m title in 19.31 and in the process breaks Michael Johnson’s 26-year-old American record of 19.32 — set one year before Lyles was born.
LEGENDARY.
— Jonathan Gault (@jgault13) July 22, 2022
Noah Lyles 💨 19.31 200-just beat Michael Johnson’s American record!
Just incredible!!— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) July 22, 2022
In track and field, Noah Lyles is on LeBron, Steph, Giannis, and KD’s level of dominance!! @LylesNoah
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) July 22, 2022
Noah Lyles is a bad man 🙌🏽
— Bryce Hoppel (@BryceHoppel) July 22, 2022
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