Noah Lyles Stuns in 200-Meter Heat: Here's His Performance

The first-round 200-meter heat was essentially a stark contrast to his 100-meter title race the preceding night.

SAINT-DENIS, France — Noah Lyles made a confident start in his pursuit of a second Olympic gold medal by gliding through the 200-meter heat in 20.19 seconds.

Lyles outpaced defending Olympic champion Andre De Grasse of Canada by .11 seconds, displaying none of the drama witnessed in his 100-meter race.

In that 100-meter race, Lyles narrowly defeated Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by a mere .005 seconds, marking one of the most thrilling finishes in Olympic track history. Lyles, Thompson, and Fred Kerley were scheduled to receive their medals later in the evening.

Alongside Lyles, Americans Erriyon Knighton (20.00) and Kenny Bednarek (19.97) also advanced, with Bednarek emerging as a potential rival for Lyles in the final on Thursday.

Lyles aims to become the first man to achieve a 100-200 double since Usain Bolt’s triple feat concluded at the Rio Games in 2016. The last American to accomplish this was Carl Lewis in 1984 in Los Angeles.

Lyles took to the track just as the men’s pole vault final was underway, with Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis contending to defend his Olympic title.

Gabby Thomas, now the favorite in the women’s 200-meter following Shericka Jackson’s withdrawal, was slated for her semifinal heat.

In the upcoming finals, all eyes were on the women’s 800 and 5,000 meters, where Faith Kipyegon aimed for a groundbreaking women’s 1,500-5,000 double at the Olympics.