All athletes who qualified for Paris Olympics men's 200m finals ft. Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek

The men's 200m at the Paris Olympics has been one of the most hotly anticipated events of the Games, and the semifinals races for the distance on Wednesday, August 7 proved exactly why. In a deep field, sprinters came close to breaching the 20-second mark in all races, promising fans a delightful final when the time comes.

Getting the action started with an enthralling run was America's Kenny Bednarek in Semifinals 1. The 25-year-old has already notched some impressive performances at the Games, having made it through to the finals of the 100m. Running his speciality event today, Bednarek was on fire and looks well on his way to a second consecutive 200m medal after he topped his race with a 20.00s.

Behind the American, Dominican Republic's Alexander Ogando was the one who finished second, coming from behind to clock a 20.09s, leaving reigning Olympic champion Andre De Grasse in the dust, ending the Canadian’s dream of a title defense.

While Bednarek might have gotten the audience hooked, it was Letsile Tebogo who stole the show in the 200m races of the day at the Paris Olympics. Running in Semifinals 2, the Botswanian outdid newly crowned 100m Olympic champion Noah Lyles. Tebogo touched the line in 19.96s, while Lyles ran a 20.08s. This marks the first time the American has been beaten in a 200m race in three years.

Semifinals 3 of the men's 200m was perhaps the most competitive, with the top three finishing within 0.07 seconds of each other. However, in the end it was America's Erriyon Knighton who crossed the line first, with his 20.09. Behind him, Joseph Fahnbullah also booked a berth in the finals, running a 20.12s. Third-place finisher Tapiwanashe Makarawu of Zimbabwe will also feature in the race for gold, having made it through based on his time.

Paris Olympics 2024: Full list of men's 200m finalists

Semifinals 1

Kenny Bednarek - 20.00s

Alexander Ogando - 20.09s

Semifinals 2

Letsile Tebogo - 19.96s

Noah Lyles - 20.08s

Semifinals 3

Erriyon Knighton - 20.09s

Joseph Fahnbullah - 20.12s

Qualified by time

Tapiwanashe Makarawu - 20.16s

Makanakaishe Charamba - 20.31s

Paris Olympics 2024: When and where to watch Noah Lyles in action in the men's 200m finals

After his impressive performance in the men's 100m finals, Noah Lyles will be back for an encore in the 200m finals on Thursday, August 8.

The race is slated to take place at 20:30 PM local time, i.e 14:30 PM ET, and fans in America can tune into NBC, NBC's Peacock or the USA Network to watch Lyles try and claim his second gold of the Paris Olympics.