Noah Lyles becomes first athlete since Usain Bolt to win sprint double at World Athletics Championships

U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles said in July that he had his sights set on becoming the first man since Usain Bolt in 2015 to win gold in the 100m and 200m at the World Athletics Championship, and on Friday night in Budapest, he pulled it off.

The 200m was never a doubt for Lyles, as he cruised to a 19.51-second victory to win his third consecutive world championship gold in the event–a feat only Bolt has pulled off, winning four 200m titles between 2009 and 2017. Earlier in the week at worlds, he stormed to gold in the 100m, dethroning his compatriot and rival Fred Kerley, who did not reach the final.

Lyles has often expressed his aspiration to break Bolt’s 200m world record of 19.19 seconds. Despite falling significantly short of that mark, he showcased his vibrant pre-race rituals (which are similar to Bolt’s), playing with the crowd before taking the blocks and setting the stage for an electric performance.

Fellow American Erriyon Knighton took silver in 19.75 seconds, upgrading his bronze medal from Eugene last year. Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo won bronze in 19.81 seconds–his second sprint medal of the championships.

De Grasse sixth in 200m return

Canadian fans were hopeful for 2020 Olympic champion Andre De Grasse in his return to a world 200m final. De Grasse got out of the blocks well but faded back coming out of the bend, finishing sixth in 20.14 seconds.

“I am happy to even be back in the final, even to finish sixth and get back here I am super grateful,” De Grasse told Canadian Running post-race. “I know what I have to do to prepare myself for next year, and as long as I am healthy, I’ll give myself a chance to be on that [Olympic] podium.”

De Grasse said he entered the race feeling 100 per cent mentally, but felt his body needed a bit more speedwork and training to compete with the top guys. “As long as I am healthy, I can contend,” says De Grasse. “The times were not crazy, besides Lyles’s 19.5. These are all times I’ve run in the past.”

Andre De Grasse 🇨🇦 on not having a chance to run in heats of the men’s 4x100m relay since the 200m final was on the same night.

“All the years I was able to run. They gotta fix that for the next world championships to give everybody a chance to have their best contend.” pic.twitter.com/YN7IxlPsMx

— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) August 25, 2023

This will be the first world championships where De Grasse will be leaving without a medal, since the men’s 4x100m were eliminated in the heats earlier on in the evening. De Grasse did not run the anchor leg, with the 200m final scheduled for an hour and a half later; Canada’s Bolade Ajomale ran in his place.

The 2023 World Athletics Championships are taking place from August 19-27 at the National Stadium in Budapest, Hungary. All the action will be brought to you by Canadian Running and Asics Canada. Follow us on Twitter on Instagram for all things Team Canada and up-to-date exclusive news and content.