Who is Noah Lyles? USA sprinter wins gold in 200 meters at World Athletics Championships 2022, comes close to Usain Bolt’s world record

Defending champion Noah Lyles won the gold medal at the World Athletics Championships 2022 in the 200 Meters category. The American sprinter was followed by fellow countrymen Kenneth Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton, who won silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Lyles also secured first position during the Heats on Day 4 (July 18). He clocked 19.31 seconds during the finals on Day 7 of the World Athletics Championships 2022.

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Noah Lyles and his achievements so far

Lyles' podium finish at Eugene saw him become the third-fastest sprinter in the 200 Meters category. Usain Bolt (19.19 seconds) still sits atop the table, followed by fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake (19.26 seconds).

However, Noah Lyles was over the moon having successfully broken Michael Johnson’s record of 19.32 seconds by 0.01 seconds.

Reflecting on how close he was to a tie, Lyles commented:

“I saw the time pop up and saw I tied Michael Johnson's record. I was like 'Really, you're going to do me like that?'"

Things felt even more special when Johnson met Lyles on the track after he finished the race. In a conversation with the Associated Press, Michael Johnson commented:

“He [Noah Lyles] said he worked harder than he ever did. I thought he ran a great curve. And so, it was fantastic.”

Back in the World Athletics Championships 2019 that took place at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Lyles clinched the gold medal in the 200 Meters category. Having won it for the second successive time, it remains to be seen if he will hit a hat-trick at the championships next year.

The American sprinter has been just as good in the 100 Metres category along with various types of relays.

He clinched the gold medal in the 4x100 Meters relay at the 2019 World Athletics Championships. He also won the Youth Olympic Games in 2014 in the 200 Meters category. He secured third position at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the same category.

Here are the other medals won by the American sprinter in international events:

• World Youth Championships (2013) – Silver (Medley Relay)
• Pan American U20 Championships (2015) – Silver (100 Meters) and Gold (200 Meters)
• World U20 Championships (2016) – Gold (100 Meters and 4x100 Meters Relay)
• World Relay (2019) – Silver (4x100 Meters Relay)
• Prefontaine Classic (2021) – Gold (200 Meters)