Noah Lyles on Thursday defended his world 200m title in electric fashion in a second US sprint clean sweep, while Shericka Jackson thwarted Jamaican teammate Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s bid for a sprint double in the women’s race.
Close on the heels of Fred Kerley leading a 1-2-3 for the US in the men’s 100m, Lyles made no mistake over the longer sprint, racing home in 19.31 seconds in Eugene, Oregon.
It was the fourth-fastest 200m ever run — only Jamaicans Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake have run faster.
Photo: AFP
Lyles’ teammates Kenny Bednarek and teenager Erriyon Knighton took silver and bronze in 19.77 and 19.80 respectively, to repeated chants of “U-S-A” from home fans at Hayward Field.
“It’s like being a rock star,” Lyles said of performing in front of a packed crowd in Eugene, as opposed to the empty stands at the Tokyo Olympics, where he finished third and admitted to having mental health issues.
“I was true in form for a world record, but I am OK with the American record,” Lyles said after bettering Michael Johnson’s previous best by 0.01 seconds. “To be honest, every step was purposeful, going out with intent to win.”
There were similar fireworks in the women’s 200m on a balmy, clear night with perfect conditions for sprinting.
Jackson set a championship record of 21.45, the second-fastest time ever run over the distance, for the first individual world title of her career.
Only the late Florence Griffith-Joyner, whose 1988 world record of 21.34 still stands, has run faster.
“I am feeling great once I came out and put on the show,” 28-year-old Jackson said. “The fastest woman alive, the national and championships record, I cannot complain.”
Newly-crowned 100m gold medalist Fraser-Pryce took silver in 21.81, but there was no Jamaican clean sweep, as there had been in the blue riband event, as defending champion Dina Asher-Smith of Britain claimed bronze in 22.02.
Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, the third part of Jamaica’s 100m sweep, eventually came in seventh in 22.39.
Fraser-Pryce hinted that any retirement plans, initially mulled over in 2020, were definitely on hold.
“I really think I owe it to myself to see how far I can go as a sprinter and just continue to transcend what I thought was possible,” she said. “For women, especially after having a baby and after turning 30, you hear ... it’s time to pack it up, but you know I’m 35, going on 36, and to be here still competing at that level it’s just a blessing.”
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