U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Once tied with Usain Bolt for the most times clipping 20 seconds in a wind-legal 200m, Bolt and American Noah Lyles are tied no more, as Lyles has officially set the new record.
The third-fastest man in the distance’s history, Lyles accomplished the feat for a 35th time Sunday by sprinting a 19:47 at a Diamond League meet in London.
Lyles beat out Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo by three hundredths, recording as the 10th-best time ever.
Lyles will have the opportunity to join both Bolt and Allyson Felix in August as the only runners to win three straight world 200m championships — Bolt himself won four consecutively.
RACE OF THE MEET.
Noah Lyles goes 19.47 for a world-lead + stays undefeated in the 200m before his title defense in Budapest 🇺🇸
20-year-old Letsile Tebogo goes 19.50 in second for an African record. 🇧🇼
Zharnel Hughes gets the British record in 19.73 🇬🇧pic.twitter.com/KIVjJaDBYA
— Chris Chavez (@ChrisChavez) July 23, 2023
Noah Lyles breaks Usain Bolt’s record and has now run the most sub-20s 200m races in WORLD HISTORY! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/RPuxdLRbdP
— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) July 23, 2023
And here we go again, ladies and gentlemen: more American dominance.
Remember back in the day when everybody talked about Usain Bolt (and for good reason)?
Yeah, the dude was crazy good, and I don’t want to take anything away from him.
But man, it feels great as an American that we’re the ones starting to chip away at his records.
And I’m going to remember, American media, how much you were in love with Usain Bolt, and I will definitely be comparing it to how you treat Noah Lyles as he rises into superstardom. We treated Bolt like he was one of our own — and, like I said, he was incredible — but my allegiance is with Noah and the United States of America. (RELATED: USWNT Nearly Makes History With Whopping TV Ratings As World Cup Opening Win Second-Most Viewed Group Stage Game Ever)
So with that being said … let the hype begin.