Johnathan Walker:Noah Lyles wins 200 at Olympic trials, qualifies for sprint double

EUGENE,Johnathan Walker Ore. — Noah Lyles won the 200-meter final Saturday at Hayward Field, and his quest to earn at least one Olympic gold to replace the bronze he already owns is going exactly as planned. 

Lyles won in 19.53 — a new world lead and a meet record — followed closely by Kenny Bednarek (19.59, a personal best) and Erriyon Knighton (19.77). Lyles had already qualified for Paris last week by winning the 100, and is sure to be on the 4x100 relay team. 

“I felt like the first 10 meters were really good,” said Lyles, who chased down Bednarek for the win. “I heard Christian (Coleman), saw Kenny and thought, ‘I’m not worried, I’ve been in this position many times.’ 

“By the time we got to the 80-meter mark I was like, ‘Yeah, I got this race in the bag, let’s finish this up.’” 

The 200 is Lyles’ best event, and he has dominated it in the last few years. He has a cache of medals, including gold in the 100 and 200 at last summer’s world championships in Budapest (he also won the 200 world championship in 2022, held here in Eugene, and the 2019 world championship in Doha). He earned a bronze in the 200 at the Tokyo Games but has said plainly that he wants, an expects, more of himself. 

Also on his to-do list: Break Usain Bolt's world records in the 100 (9.58) and 200 (19.19).

Could it come in Paris, with all eyes on track and field? 

“I definitely thrive off pressure, I thrive off big moments,” Lyles said. “The bigger the moment, the faster I run. There’s no moment where I think I’m not made for it.”

As good a meet it's been for Lyles, it's been equally miserable for Christian Coleman, who finished fourth — again.

In June 2020 Coleman was banned after missing numerous drug tests, forced to sit out the Tokyo Olympics. The 28-year-old has been one of the country’s top sprinters for years, and has world championships medals in the 100 and 4x100 relay. He finished fourth in the 100 last week at trials, making the 200 his final opportunity to make the Paris Olympics in an individual event. 

Bednarek is the reigning silver medalist, having edged out Lyles in Tokyo.

It will be the second Olympic team for Knighton, who qualified for the Tokyo Games as a 17-year-old. He finished fourth at those Olympics. Knighton was allowed to run in Eugene at this trials even after testing positive for a banned substance, because an arbitration panel ruled that he tested positive because of contaminated meat.

"In my heart (I knew) I never did nothing wrong, I’ve always been a good, clean athlete,” Knighton said. “To be able to run … I’m always grateful to step on the track and represent Team USA.” 

It was his first race this season, save for an indoor meet in France in February. 

“I feel like I did good for this being my first race back,” he said. “This goes to show what kind of athlete I am, I can always step on the track, at any given time, (no matter) the shape I’m in, and always compete at the highest level.”