By EDDIE PELLS
SAINT-DENIS, France — Noah Lyles suffered an upset in the 200 meters Thursday, settling for Olympic bronze for the second straight time in the event as Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo won gold and American Kenny Bednarek got silver.
Lyles fell to his back after the loss and eventually sat up to be tended to by medics who rushed out onto the track. He was taken off the track in a wheelchair.
Tebogo, 21, led wire-to-wire and won in 19.46 seconds, the fourth-fastest time in history. Bednarek, who also won silver in Tokyo, finished in 19.62 and Lyles, four nights after winning a close-as-can-be 100, ran the curve in 19.70.
Lyles had not been beaten in a 200 since that night in Tokyo, and after his win in the 100, he brought the bronze medal to the press conference, slammed it on the table and said that had been his motivation for three full years.
Now, he’ll get another one.
Thursday’s final marked the second straight night Tebogo beat him to the finish line in the Lyles’ favorite race.
In the semifinal, Lyles finished second and skipped his traditional meeting with reporters to head to the medical tent. His coach said he was fine.
This time, Tebogo was leading as the sprinters reached the curve. That’s the time Lyles usually puts on his trademark close, but there was no strong finish.
Originally Published:
