Noah Lyles wins record-tying U.S. men's 200m title; Melissa Jefferson-Wooden sweeps
Lyles, the Olympic 100m gold medalist, won a record-tying fifth U.S. men's 200m title, clocking 19.63 seconds, the world's best time in 2025, in Eugene, Oregon.
Lyles tied the record number of U.S. men's 200m titles shared by Michael Johnson (1990-92, '95-96) and Ralph Metcalfe (1932-36). His last defeat in a U.S. 200m final was at the 2016 Olympic Trials when he was 18 years old.
Athletes competing at nationals are vying for spots on September's World Championships team. But Lyles already had a bye onto the team for worlds in Tokyo in both the 100m and 200m as the defending world champion in each event.
USATF OUTDOORS: Results
Lyles will be joined on the 100m and 200m team at worlds by 200m runner-up Bednarek, who won the 100m at nationals on Friday in Lyles' absence.
In the 200m final, Lyles overtook Bednarek in the final strides by four hundredths and looked over at Bednarek as he crossed the finish line. Bednarek then shoved Lyles in the back before they came to a stop. The two men then had a short chat and shook hands.
'I'm not going to say it out here, but we've got something to do and talk about,' Bednarek told Lewis Johnson on NBC Sports when asked about the look and shove.
Bednarek is 2-13 all-time against Lyles in the 200m, though the two were the last two Olympic finals where Bednarek took silver and Lyles bronze.
Also Sunday, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden became the first woman to sweep the 100m and 200m national titles since 2003 (Torri Edwards).
Jefferson-Wooden, who ran a personal best 21.84, was followed by Anavia Battle (22.13) and Olympic 200m gold medalist Gabby Thomas. Thomas, who said she had a few setbacks this season, made the world team by one thousandth of a second over Olympic bronze medalist Brittany Brown.
The 2019 World champion Donavan Brazier completed a comeback from nearly three years away from competition to win the 800m in a personal best 1:42.19.
'I always pictured this happening, but I don't know if it'd come true,' Brazier told Johnson on NBC Sports.
Brazier was followed by 16-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus, who ran 1:42.27, a U18 world record by 1.1 seconds.
The rising Texas high school junior is set to become the youngest American to compete at a World Track and Field Championships, according to Olympic sports historian Bill Mallon of the OlyMADMen. Mary Cain (2013) and Allyson Felix (2003) previously raced at age 17.
Olympic 1500m gold medalist Cole Hocker won the 5000m, one day after placing third in the 1500m, to hit his goal of making the world team in both events.
Hocker is joined by Olympic 5000m bronze medalist Grant Fisher and American record holder Nico Young. Hocker would be the first American to race both the 1500m and 5000m at worlds since Bernard Lagat in 2009.
In the 400m hurdles, 2016 Olympic gold medalist Dalilah Muhammad earned her fifth national title — and first since breaking the world record in 2019 — in what she has said will be her last season before retiring.
Muhammad will lead the U.S. women's 400m hurdles team at worlds, along with Olympic silver medalist Anna Cockrell.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and current world record holder in the event, chose to race the flat 400m instead this summer.
Olympic gold medalist Rai Benjamin won a sixth U.S. title in the men's 400m hurdles, breaking a record he shared with Edwin Moses, among others.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Valarie Allman threw 71.45 meters for a record seventh U.S. discus title and a 27th consecutive victory overall dating to 2023.
Allman, who would have won Sunday's title with any of her six throws, will now bid to win a world title for the first time after previous silver and bronze medals.
Roisin Willis made her first senior world team by winning the 800m, adding to her 2022 World Junior and 2025 NCAA titles in the event. Tokyo Olympic champion Athing Mu-Nikolayev previously missed the nine-woman final by one spot.
Nick Zaccardi,
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
42 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Today in Chicago History: Futuristic, Helmut Jahn-designed United Airlines terminal opens at O'Hare
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Aug. 4, according to the Tribune's archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) 1984: Blond-haired Morton Grove native Bart Conner produced a flawless performance in the parallel bars to earn his first gold medal, which was quite a feat considering he had surgery the previous December to repair a torn bicep muscle. Then, he helped the U.S. men's team secure its first team all-around Olympic gymnastics gold medal in 80 years. Conner married three-time gold-medal winner Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci — who dazzled the world at just 14 with perfect 10s at the 1976 Montreal Olympics — in 1996. Together they run a gymnastics academy in Norman, Oklahoma. Conner and Comaneci were part of the Chicago delegation that traveled to Copenhagen in 2009, to make an appeal before the International Olympic Committee to be the host city for the 2016 Summer Games. 1987: The United Airlines terminal opened at O'Hare International Airport. The $540 million, Helmut Jahn-designed glass and aluminum complex included two buildings connected by an underground walkway featuring a 744-foot flashing neon sculpture, galactic synthesizer music and moving sidewalks. O'Hare International Airport: From farm to global terminalThe 85-acre facility — which would include 42 gates upon completion in December 1988 — also featured a $38 million, computerized baggage-handling system that could process 480 bags a minute. 1993: White Sox third baseman Robin Ventura, then 26, sprinted at 46-year-old Texas Rangers pitcher Nolan Ryan, who had just plunked Ventura in the right elbow with a fastball in the third inning. Ventura was incensed. He took Ryan's actions to be retaliation, plain and simple, for a series of incidents. Yes, Robin Ventura remembers that one-sided fight with Nolan Ryan. And he can laugh about it.'If you know the game, it's no secret what he was doing,' said Ventura, his elbow encased in an elastic brace. 'If you don't think he did it on purpose, you don't know the game.' Ryan put the 26-year-old Ventura in a headlock and started pummeling him. Chicago's history with hosting Democratic and Republican conventions dates back to 18601994: Chicago beat out San Antonio to host the 1996 Democratic National Convention. Democratic Chairman David Wilhelm announced during a news conference at Navy Pier that the world would once again be watching Chicago. Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago's past.
Business Insider
3 hours ago
- Business Insider
Katie Ledecky says she sticks to this high-protein food for lunch almost every day
Katie Ledecky is one of the most decorated female swimmers in history, but her go-to lunch is surprisingly low-key. In an interview with EatingWell published on Thursday, the nine-time Olympic gold medallist spoke about her diet and the high-protein food she likes to have for lunch. "Given how long I've been in the sport, you can't have the same things every single day or every single year, but I do find that once I find something that is working well that keeps me fueled before and after practice, I'll stick with it," Ledecky told EatingWell. "I found that with my omelet that I make myself in the middle of the day," the swimmer said. "Of course, I mix up what vegetables I'm throwing in my omelet or what kind of toast I'm having, but for the most part, I get into a routine and I've found what works." She said the only meal she switches up every day is dinner. Ledecky says she follows a "really balanced diet" that includes protein, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables every day to maintain her performance. It's all about staying fueled and ready for her next workout, she said. "I treat myself every now and then, but I typically have a snack before my morning practice and then a Core Power after, and then I'll have a late breakfast, another snack or small lunch in the middle of the day, and then dinner after my afternoon practice," she said. Ledecky has been a brand ambassador for Core Power protein shakes since April last year. At 28, Ledecky says she now has "ownership" over what she eats — a shift from her school years, when her mom handled every meal. "I'm cooking for myself, I'm making all those decisions. I don't have my mom around to cook every meal, although I would love that," Ledecky said. "I love it when she visits and does some of that for me, but I have to do that now for myself and I enjoy it. I enjoy learning about what fuels my body the best." A representative for Ledecky did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours. Ledecky isn't the only athlete who has spoken about their diets. Usain Bolt told BI in 2021 that his favorite pre-workout meal during his Olympic career was pumpkins and yams. In February, WNBA player Aaliyah Edwards told BI that she eats a high-protein, vegetarian diet centered on staples such as tofu, legumes, and Greek yoghurt. Last week, Luka Dončić 's nutritionist said that the NBA star follows a gluten-free diet and eats at least 250 grams of protein daily during the offseason.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kenny Bednarek shoves winner Noah Lyles after spicy 200M final at USATF National Championships
Noah Lyles edged rival Kenny Bednarek in a spicy 200-meter final at the USATF National Championships Sunday that concluded with Bednarek shoving Lyles in the back. After the race's conclusion, tension between the pair carried over into a post-race interview with NBC. The high-stakes matchup was the latest between the two world-class sprinters. Lyles is a three-time world champion (2019, 2022, 2023) in the event and defeated Bednarek at the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials ahead of the Paris Games. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] But Bednarek got the best of Lyles in Paris with a silver-medal finish ahead of Lyles' bronze-medal run that denied him double Olympic gold after Lyles was victorious in the 100 meters. Lyles later revealed that he ran the 200 meters in Paris while sick with COVID-19. Bednarek, meanwhile, has been the dominant male sprinter on the circuit this year and was undefeated in the event in 2025 — until Sunday. Look leads to shove leads to words Bednarek got the early jump in Sunday's final before Lyles ran him down from behind on the straightaway. Lyles passed Bednarek late to cross the finish line first with a time of 19.63 seconds for his fifth U.S. championship in the event. Bednarek settled for the silver medal with a time of 19.67 seconds. As they crossed the finish line, Lyles gave Bednarek a look from his place one lane to Bednarek's right. Bednarek responded with a shove in Lyles' back. Lyles turned around with his arms raised and a few words for Bednarek. Bednarek extended his hand, which Lyles begrudgingly accepted for a handshake before an extended exchange of words. Spectators at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, collectively gasped when they saw the slow-motion replay of Bednarek's shove. Then came the post-race interview of both runners with NBC. The tension was still fresh, and the runners were hashing things out in the range of NBC's camera and microphone before the interview commenced. "You're right,' Lyles said to Bednarek. "I expected a call," Bednarek responded. "I'm telling you, if you've got a problem, I expected a call. That's all I'm saying. "You know what? You're right," Lyles responded. "Let's talk after this." Bednarek then addressed Lyles' late-race look when asked about it. "I'm not gonna say it out here," Bednarek said. "But we've got something to do and talk about. That's all I've got to say." The two have several weeks to work things out before they meet again on the track. With Sunday's result, Bednarek earned a spot in Tokyo for the World Championships. As the reigning world champion, Lyles' spot in Tokyo was already secure. They'll both be among the favorites to win the 200-meter final that's slated to be run on Sept. 19. They'll also have a chance to meet in the 100-meter final in Tokyo. Bednarek secured gold in the U.S. 100-meter final on Friday. Lyles did not compete, but has a bye into that event as well thanks to his World Championship win in the event in 2023.
