Noah Lyles turns the table on Erriyon Knighton at US Olympic trials

Anthony Foster
By Anthony Foster 2 Min Read
Noah Lyles finishes third in tight men's 60m race at Austin meet

World champion Noah Lyles turned the tables on Erriyon Knighton to win the men’s 200m on Sunday’s (28 June) final day of the 2021 US Olympic trials in Eugene, USA.

Lyles, who was way off his best going into the final, found form to blaze to a world-leading 19.74 clocking.

He sightly trailed Kenny Bednarek off the curve and gave it his all down the homestretch. He ran across the line with his left hand in the year in celebration.

Knighton, who beat Lyles in the semi-finals and heats, found himself sixth at the top of the curve. He finished strong, but his personal best effort was not enough to catch Lyles.

His 19.84 secs is a new world junior (U20) record, lowering his semi-final mark of 19.88. Usain Bolt 19.93 had held the world junior record since 2004.

Bednarek finished third in 19.78, also a personal best, to book his ticket to the Tokyo Olympic Games next month (July).

ALSO READ: American Erriyon Knighton breaks another Usain Bolt record

RACE VIDEO: Grant Holloway just misses 110mH world record with 12.81secs stunner at US Olympic trials

Sydney McLaughlin beat Dalilah Muhammad’s world record mark of 52.16 by running 51.90 in the women’s 400m hurdles. Muhammad was second in 52.42.

Athing Mu, who recently signed a pro contract with Nike, ran a personal best, world-leading and meet record 1:56.07 to win the women’s 800m.

Cole Hocker topped the men’s 1500m in a personal best 3:35.25.

Taliyah Brooks collapsed on Sunday’s second and final day of the women’s Heptathlon due to the scorching temperatures at Hayward Field that reached a record high. She was not able to finish the competition after being forced to be examined.

The women’s sprints will be hot at this summer’s Toyko Olympic Games. Jamaicans Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and defending sprint double champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, along with Americans Sha’Carri Richardson and Gabby Thomas (200m), Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain.

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