New Delhi, September 20 (HS): American sprint star Noah Lyles created history on Friday at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, equalling the legendary Usain Bolt’s record by winning his fourth consecutive gold in the men’s 200 metres.

Lyles, running in his signature event, clocked 19.52 seconds to claim victory. Earlier in the tournament, he had also secured a bronze medal in the 100 metres. Bolt had dominated the event between 2009 and 2015, collecting four straight 200m world titles along with 11 World Championship golds and eight Olympic gold medals in his career.

In the final, Lyles’ compatriot Kenny Bednarek finished just behind him with 19.58 seconds to take silver, while Jamaica’s Bryan Levell claimed bronze in 19.64 seconds. Botswana’s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo missed the podium by a mere 0.01 seconds, settling for fourth place.

Lyles had already signalled his blazing form in the semifinals, powering to 19.51 seconds — the fastest-ever time in World Championships history. In the title race, despite a slow start, he unleashed a devastating surge over the last 100 metres to storm from fourth to first and secure his place alongside Bolt in sprinting folklore.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar