TOKYO -- Noah Lyles may have been beaten in the 100m final on night two of the world championships, but the American showman was far from defeated. On Friday evening, in cooler conditions at Japan's National Stadium, Lyles reminded the world of his prowess on the track, prevailing in the 200m final to join sprint megastar Usain Bolt in the most exclusive of clubs.
Lyles had a tardy getaway off the blocks to be fifth as the field straightened for home. But just as we've seen on countless occasions, when he puts the hammer down, few, if any, can go with him. As the pack roared down the home straight, Lyles motored past all of his challengers, hitting the front and stopping the clock in a time of 19.52s.
Compatriot Kenneth Bednarek (19.58s) won his second silver medal at the world championships, while rising Jamaican Bryan Levell (19.64s) took bronze. Letsile Tebogo, the Olympic gold medalist from Paris last year, finished fourth with a run of 19.68s.
The 28-year-old Lyles joins Bolt, the 100m and 200m world record holder, as the only two in history -- man or woman -- to win the 200m on four separate occasions at the world championships. The Jamaican won the event at each of the four editions staged between 2009 and 2015. Lyles has prevailed in the past four, dating back to his breakthrough in Doha in 2019.
Lyles had laid down an ominous maker in Thursday evening's semifinals, posting a season-best 19.51s -- the best semifinal time in world championship history -- to easily be the fastest qualifier for the medal race. He didn't need to better that time in the final, though he went awfully close, to stack another gold medal on his glittering resume.
Making Lyles' feat even more impressive is the injury-interrupted season he's endured and the compromised schedule leading to these championships. The 100m Olympic gold medalist lost weeks of training to groin inflammation in April and only began preparations for this meet three months ago.
The United States also won gold in the women's 200m final, with Melissa Jefferson-Wooden completing a marvelous sprint double in Tokyo, having also prevailed in the 100m on night two. The 24-year-old was untouchable, winning in a time of 21.68s ahead of Great Britain's Amy Hunt (22.14s) and Jamaican star Shericka Jackson (22.18s). She becomes the first woman in 12 years to win both sprint events at a world championships.
Friday evening in Tokyo also staged the semifinals of the women's 800m. Australia's Jess Hull, who was granted permission to race after successfully appealing an inadvertent trip in her heat run on Thursday night, set a new national record of 1:57.17 in her semifinal to qualify for the medal race.
Australia's Mackenzie Little breezed into the women's javelin final after pulling out a season-best throw of 65.54m in her one and only qualifying attempt. The bronze medal winner from the world championships in Budapest two years ago is in ominous form and will compete for Australia's first gold medal at this meet on Saturday evening.
Middle-distance star Ky Robinson also qualified for a final. The 23-year-old from Brisbane will contest the men's 5000m decider after finishing fifth in the heats earlier in the session.
Here's how night seven at the world championships unfolded: