Track turned into a contact sport on Sunday when Kenny Bednarek shoved Noah Lyles after Lyles beat him to the finish line in the 200-meter final at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships.
Lyles reeled in Bednarek in the homestretch to win in 19.63 seconds.
As he was crossing the finish line, Lyles turned to Bednarek in the lane next to him and started jawing at him. A few steps after they crossed, Bednarek reached out and gave Lyles a two-handed shove.
Lyles turned around, backpedaled and reached his arms out, then kept jawing at Bednarek. Their argument continued into the start of the NBC interview.
“I tell ya, if you’ve got a problem, I expect a call,” Bednarek said.
Lyles replied: “You know what, you’re right. You’re right. Let’s talk after this.”
Asked by the network’s Lewis Johnson what happened, Bednarek said: “I’m not going to say it out here, but we got something to do and talk about.”
The next chapter figures to play out Sept. 19 in Japan, where they’ll be among the favorites in the 200-meter final. Lyles is trying to match Usain Bolt with four consecutive world titles in his best race.
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Lyles had a slow start to a season that has seen Bednarek open as the dominant sprinter of 2025. Bednarek won the 100 meters on Friday and also beat Lyles at the Olympics last year, finishing second in a race in which Lyles won bronze while suffering with COVID.
“It was a pretty difficult championship,” Lyles said. “I’ve been tired. It’s been rough. coming out here when you’re not 100 percent and being able to say, ‘I still got to give my all no matter what happens.’ That’s tough. That’s tough.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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