Watch: Noah Lyles Shoved By Kenny Bednarek After Winning 200 Meters At US Nationals

News18

2 days ago

Noah Lyles won the 200m at the U.S. track championships, overtaking Kenny Bednarek and sparking a post-race confrontation.
Noah Lyles delivered the day's most significant performance on the track, overtaking Kenny Bednarek for the win and then taunting him. Bednarek responded with a two-handed shove after the finish line, accompanied by heated words and a challenge for a rematch that can't come soon enough.
Sunday's U.S. track championships turned physical when Lyles and Bednarek engaged in a shoving and shouting match as they finished the hotly contested 200-meter final at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
'Like I've said before, Noah's going be Noah," Bednarek remarked. 'If he wants to stare me down, that's fine."
Lyles surpassed Bednarek and finished in 19.63 seconds for a .04-second victory, setting up a rematch at the world championships on September 19 in Tokyo.
The real drama unfolded after the finish line. There was jawing, shoving, and Lyles turning around, backpedaling, extending his arms, and bouncing like a boxer before throwing more choice words at Bednarek.
Their confrontation spilled into what is usually a celebratory NBC winner's interview.
'If you've got a problem, I expect a call," Bednarek said, as the network's Lewis Johnson moved the mic between them.
Although they shook hands during the tense post-race moment, Bednarek remained fired up well after leaving the track.
'The summary is, don't do that to me," Bednarek said. 'I don't do any of that stuff. It's not good character right there. That's pretty much it. At the end of the day, he won the race. I've got to give him props. He was the better man today."
Lyles' victory was expected, being the three-time defending world champion who must overcome Bednarek to make it four in Tokyo. Bednarek was asked what Lyles said as he gloated after securing his fifth national title at his favourite distance.
'What he said didn't matter, it's just what he did," Bednarek stated. 'Unsportsmanlike (expletive) and I don't deal with that. It's a respect factor. He's fresh. Last time we lined it up, I beat him, that's all I can say. Next time we line up, I'm going to win. That's all that matters."
When asked about his role in the conflict, Lyles was reserved: 'On coach's orders, no comment."
Track desperately needs some energy in the post-Olympic year and post-Usain Bolt era. Who better to provide it than Lyles, the sport's most engaging character this side of Sha'Carri Richardson, who was again in off-the-track headlines this weekend.
Up to now, track media and the athletes themselves have tried to generate rivalries between Lyles and Erriyon Knighton (fizzled), or Lyles and Letsile Tebogo (beat him in the Olympics last year) or, of course, between Lyles and NFL receiver Tyreek Hill (supposed grudge match never took place).
It turns out, they probably should have looked at the lane next to him. Bednarek has won silver and beaten Lyles the last two times they've lined up in the 200 at the Olympics, even though Lyles faced issues at both—mental health in Tokyo, and COVID in Paris.
Bednarek referenced some long-simmering issues between them.
'Just some personal stuff we've got to handle," he said.
But when asked for more details about the burgeoning rivalry, Lyles remained focused on his challenging year after an April injury kept him out of spikes until June.
'If they ain't gonna beat me now, they ain't gonna beat me ever," Lyles said.
Bednarek isn't so sure.
The 200 final was Bednarek's fifth race of the week, including three heats of the 100 meters, where he won the final Friday. Lyles, who has an automatic spot at worlds in that event as the defending champion, only ran one heat of the 100.
'We'll go fresh and we'll see what happens," Bednarek said. 'Because I'm very confident I can beat him. That's all I can say."
Other Major Highlights
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won the 200 in a personal-best time of 21.84 seconds, while Olympic champion Gabby Thomas had to wait a few anxious moments to see if she earned a spot on the world team. She did, as her name popped up in third place.
It was a winning weekend for Jefferson-Wooden, who also captured the 100 on Friday. She will be joined in the 100 at worlds by Richardson, who has an automatic spot as the defending champion. Richardson didn't advance to the final in the 200.
The women's 400 hurdles was wide open with Olympic champion and world-record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone electing to focus on the open 400 (she won the event Saturday). Dalilah Muhammad, 35, took control and cruised to the win.
One of the afternoon's most exciting finishes was in the men's 800 meters, where 2019 world champion Donavan Brazier used a strong kick to hold off 16-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus and Bryce Hoppel.
In the 5,000 meters, Shelby Houlihan held off Elise Cranny by less than a second to win the title. Houlihan returned to the track this year after serving a four-year doping ban. The former U.S. record holder in the 5,000 tested positive after eating a burrito she claimed was tainted with a performance-enhancing drug.
With AP Inputs
About the Author
Feroz Khan
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital...Read More
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Kenny Bednarek Noah Lyles
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First Published:
August 04, 2025, 08:57 IST
News sports Watch: Noah Lyles Shoved By Kenny Bednarek After Winning 200 Meters At US Nationals
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