Noah Lyles knew he had run the best race of his life, perhaps the best 200 meters an American had ever run. I finished the course and he told me that before the final hour of the Judy Sawyer World Cup ends, before the course ends, you'll be back early from Son of Seoul.
But in harrowing moments, the court clock stubbornly maintained Lyles' unofficial time, 7:32 p.m. meter. The mark would have impress any other runner in the world, but around the same time Michael Johnson recorded the 200m at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Since then it seems irreplaceable. Until now.
Lyles, 25, stood with his hands on his hips, watching. He walked the clock at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, and talked to her.
🚨 AMERICAN SWEEP 🚨 🚨 AMERICAN RECORD 🚨
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) July 22, 2022
🥇 @LylesNoah - 19.31
🥈 @KennyBednarek - 19.77
🥉 @ErriyonK - 19.80 #WorldAthleticsChamps x #WCHOregon22 pic.twitter.com/LRsBqoJ7Y8
"He was just saying that to give me some relief, you know? He laughed with reporters later. How did he show up at the same time, 7:32 PM?" Come on, or else."
He bowed to her, wondering if his hard work was worth it. Lillis was chasing the record in one summer after winning a disappointing (for him) bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. It all happened in Oregon, where Lyles took advantage of a great start to take the lead in the much-anticipated race.
Standing on the next track, Lyles seemed to have a personal argument with the clock. When he finally escaped, two things happened. The clock clocked one hundred seconds of his time: 7:31 p.m. And on top of that, the magic word epithet: "responsible."
With screens around the stadium updated to standard time, the world title celebration erupted in euphoria after Lyles was crowned the fastest American in the 200 metres. His moment came amid the breath of a large family to him. So, Lyles backtracked from the list: "Mom, stepfather, sister, brother, father, stepmother, uncle, grandmother."
Back-to-back world 200m champion ✔️
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) July 22, 2022
North American record (19.31) ✔️@LylesNoah 🇺🇸, take a bow 👏#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/SwJYna46jc
POV: you're standing in front of @LylesNoah's 🇺🇸 family#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/nQni2fnG2G
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) July 22, 2022
The new record set an exclamation point in the men's 200 metres, with 18-year-old Erion Knighton taking bronze and Kenneth Bednarek silver.
For Lyles, salvation was long-term. He was willing to talk candidly about the challenges I overcame in training and racing, including asthma. He says treatment has helped him overcome depression, and he strives to help young children stay on track, even if they can't afford it.
But Lyle broke the world Thursday night when he set a new gold standard for tracks in the US. He has now established himself as one of the fastest men the world has ever seen. His time was only lost at 19.31 by two other players: Jamaican sprinters Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake.
I’m framing this One!
— Noah Lyles, OLY (@LylesNoah) July 22, 2022
2 fastest Americans ever! pic.twitter.com/sK8dNTz3ov
Johnson was on hand to see his record, working as a commentator for BBC Sport. He personally congratulated Lyles.
"Honestly, I wasn't expecting that to happen," Lyles said with a big smile.
But Johnson did. Like your record - finally.
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