Day 7 - World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025
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Noah Lyles made history at the 2025 World Athletics Championships on Friday, tying Usain Bolt and Michael Johnson for the most gold medals in the 200 meters on the global stage. He and Bolt are now the only two runners to win four straight golds in the 200 meters at the world championships.

Lyles eclipsed fellow American Kenny Bednarek by .06 seconds to take gold with a time of 19.52. That matched the exact time Lyles posted at the 2023 world championships.

"So you're saying if I get one more I'll be the only one to do it?" Lyles said on the NBC Sports broadcast. "I can't wait for 2027."

Lyles opened the race behind Bednarek, who carried a lead into the halfway point. He narrowed the gap over the final 100 meters and inched past Bednarek on the straightaway for a thrilling conclusion to a highly anticipated rematch between the two, who battled in a heated race last month at nationals.

"It wasn't the start that I had in the semifinals, but I knew I was still moving fast," said Lyles. "After studying my competitors, I knew that I still was doing the one thing that they weren't, and that's slingshotting off of the turn. I knew that their momentum was going to drift off as they got close to the 150, and I knew that mine was going to build up as we got close to the 150. So being patient, I think, was the most important thing."

The title race came one day after Lyles ran the fastest semifinal in world championships history. His blazing 19.51 time on Thursday also outdid the Olympics semifinal record.

Lyles redeemed himself after taking bronze in the 200 meters at the 2024 Paris Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Games. He remains in search of his first Olympic gold in the event but was crowned the fastest man in the world in Paris with his first-place finish in the 100 meters.

"Having such a bad memory of Tokyo and the Olympics, being depressed at that time, coming away with the bronze, this time, I'm energized," said Lyles. "I love what I do. I'm happy. I have the best support staff and the best crowd that I could ever ask for."