EUGENE, Ore. — As he crossed the finish line, punctuating his fifth American championship, Noah Lyles had his sights set on one person. Kenny Bednarek.
For about the final five meters of Sunday’s 200-meter final at the U.S. Championships, Lyles gave a long, taunting stare to Bednarek in the lane to his left. The staredown continued even after they crossed the finish line, with Lyles posting a world-leading time of 19.63 seconds.
Noah Lyles vs. Kenny Bednarek 👀
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“Unsportsmanlike s— and I don’t deal with that,” Bednarek said. “… Don’t do that to me. I don’t do any of that stuff. I think it’s not good character right there. That’s pretty much it. I mean, at the end of the day, he won the race, so I gotta give him his props. He was the better man today.”
Bednarek, who won the 100-meter championship on Friday after Lyles pulled out, responded to the stare down with a light shove as they throttled down.
Lyles took exception to the shove. He turned towards Bednarek, backpedaling with his arms spread wide — as if to say, “What was that?” — before coming to a stop. Bednarek approached Lyles to shake his hand. Lyles, visibly bothered by the shove, didn’t extend his hand initially.
The two exchanged words. Lyles eventually shook hands with Bednarek, hesitantly.
“On coach’s orders,” Lyles said, “no comment.”
Kenny Bednarek gave Noah Lyles a light shove after Sunday’s staredown as they came to the line in the men’s 200-meter final at the U.S. championships. (Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
Lyles heads to Tokyo in September to defend his world championship crowns in the 100 and 200 meters. Bednarek is also aiming for a sprint double at worlds, having won the U.S. Championships in the 100 meters and taking second in the 200 meters. Robert Gregory (19.80) edged out Courtney Lindsey (19.82) to secure the third qualifying spot for Tokyo. Erriyon Knighton, current No. 3 in the world in the 200, finished fifth (19.97).
Bednarek led through the turn Sunday and seemed to be in control. But Lyles unleashed his trademark closing speed and surged to victory.
“As long as I can keep him in my pocket, then I can catch him on the straightaway,” Lyles said he was thinking after Bednarek got out to the sizeable lead. “We got to the straightaway and we passed the 60-meters-left mark, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m coming.’ He ran out of energy. He ran out of momentum. Mine was just starting to hit it.”
Bednarek said the incident Sunday stems from a private matter the two have yet to resolve. He said he’s open to resolving it behind the scenes. He took umbrage at Lyles carrying that issue onto the track.
“Just some personal stuff that we got to handle,” Bednarek said. “And I said, like, you got my number if he wants to call me. He had every chance to do it. But he want to come out here and do that?”
Sunday marked Lyles’ second final of the season. He beat Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo in July at the Diamond League meet in Monaco. Tebogo beat Lyles in Paris, winning the 200-meter gold in the Olympics.
Bednarek was sure to point out he beat Lyles, too, in that 200 in Paris, taking silver. Lyles, who ran while battling COVID-19, took bronze. Bednarek said Lyles had an advantage from limited action. The 200-meter final was just his third race of the U.S. championships after running just one heat of the 100. Bednarek was on his fifth race, having run all three heats in the 100 and two heats in the 200.
“He was fresh,” Bednarek said. “We line up again when we’re both fresh, see what happens. Because I’m very confident I can beat him. That’s all I can say. … Next time we line up, I’ma win. That’s all that matters to me.”
Lyles said he will be in Europe competing to get back in top form before worlds. He said he needs races under his belt, which is why he ran the 200 meters this weekend even though he already has a spot as the reigning champion.
“I feel really good,” Lyles said. “If they ain’t gonna beat me now, they ain’t gonna beat me ever.”
(Photo: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)
