Stepping out of the darkness of the tunnel leading to the track and into the blinding lights of the stadium, you got the overwhelming sense the result of the men’s 200 meters final was never in any serious doubt.
The almighty roar Noah Lyles unleashed into the Budapest night’s sky was one of a man who had no doubts in his mind that he would do anything other than become a three-time 200m world champion.
Lyles took gold in a time of 19.52 seconds ahead of fellow countryman Erriyon Knighton and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo.
It topped a special week for the American, who is the first man to complete the 100m and 200m double at the World Championships since the great Usain Bolt did so in 2015. He is only the fifth man to ever achieve the feat.
‘The double is done, it’s alive, it’s thriving,’ said Lyles. ‘I talk a lot about not having pressure but of course there’s going to be pressure no matter what. The 100m is fun but the 200m is personal to me. This is where I’ve learned how to race.
Noah Lyles became a three-time 200m World Champion on Friday night in Budapest
He’s the first man to complete the 100m and 200m double at the World Championships since Usain Bolt
Lyles took gold in a time of 19.52 seconds, beating fellow American Erriyon Knighton
‘I knew many of the guys came out with the idea of taking this from me. To be honest they have the ability too. I don’t believe in deserving to win. You take the win.’
Britain’s Zharnel Hughes fought bravely in and amongst the world’s best but came up narrowly short of a medal after finishing fourth in 20.02 seconds. The 28-year-old admitted his lane four draw did him no favors.
‘Listen, better lane and I would have been on the podium, honestly,’ said Hughes.
‘I have to work twice as hard as those guys, they have little bend to run and I have all the bend to run. Those guys were just too far ahead to catch.’
It has been quite the journey for Hughes nonetheless. Hurdles might not be his game but the 28-year-old has overcome plenty of those in his career to-date.
Injury cost him a place at the Rio Olympics and then a false start caused by a cramping calf in the 100m final at the Tokyo Games resulted in him being disqualified.
Those lows hurt Hughes badly. And so that’s why he has been hungrier than ever to prove his potential in what has been a record-breaking season.
He could not have been in a better place coming into Budapest. But at the very top end of sport sometimes your best just isn’t enough. Especially when you’re lined up against someone of Lyles’ might.
Zharnel Hughes came narrowly short of a medal after finishing fourth in 20.02 seconds
He admitted he was hurt by his lane four draw in Budapest on Friday night in the 200m
It was a ferocious run from the favorite that left the rest well behind. He was and is simply the best.
The brash American will divide opinion. He’s not afraid of dishing them out, either. Especially when it’s about himself.
But, crucially, he has the talent to back it up. With his glistening gold and silver necklace and ever-evolving hairstyles, he truly is the box office package. And he is spot on in calling out the sport to do more in promoting his talents.
‘I look around these World Championships and I don’t see [Usain] Bolt, I don’t see Asafa [Powell], I don’t see Yohan [Blake]… and he is still running,’ explained Lyles in an impassioned monologue.
‘Where are all these great champions? You know the thing that hurts me the most? I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have world champion on their heads.
Lyles questioned why the sport wasn’t doing more to promote his tremendous resume
Erriyon Knighton of the United States, Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo of Botswana pose with their silver, gold and bronze medals respectively after the men’s 200m
‘World champion of what? The United States? Don’t get me wrong, I love the US at times. But that ain’t the world. We are the world, we’ve got to do more, we’ve got to be presented to the world.’
If the Netflix chiefs making the fly-on-the-wall documentary about the world of sprinting haven’t got a camera tracing his every movement then they may as well cease production now.
‘All I know is they weren’t talking about me at the beginning of that documentary,’ joked Lyles. ‘As soon as I won in Paris they got buddy buddy real quick!
‘I think it went from being a docuseries about the fastest people and then it turned into a docuseries about me.’
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
Mail Online
