Noah Lyles equals Usain Bolt’s 200m feat; Melissa Jefferson achieves historic sprint double

Noah Lyles Matches Bolt with 4th 200m Gold; Melissa Jefferson-Wooden Completes Historic Sprint Double.

American sprinters Noah Lyles and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden shone at the World Championships, claiming emphatic victories in the men’s and women’s 200m finals. Lyles secured his fourth consecutive 200m world title in 19.52 seconds, equalling Usain Bolt’s historic record. Jefferson-Wooden completed a sprint double, winning the women’s 200m in 21.68 seconds after already claiming the 100m crown.

Lyles overcame a slow start to surge down the home straight, defeating Kenny Bednarek (19.58s) and Jamaica’s Bryan Levell (19.64s), who won bronze with a personal best. Lyles, who had finished third in the 100m earlier, described his victory as “rewriting a memory” from Tokyo 2020, when the absence of crowds muted his Olympic bronze experience.

“I wanted it pretty bad,” Lyles said. “The crowd today was everything you could ever want.” The 24-year-old is now eyeing a fifth 200m world title in 2027 and a relay gold.

In the women’s 200m, Jefferson-Wooden dominated after a false start disqualified Anthonique Strachan (Bahamas). Britain’s Amy Hunt claimed silver in a lifetime best of 22.14 seconds, while Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, the defending champion, took bronze in 22.18 seconds. Jefferson-Wooden surged clear off the bend to finish five metres ahead, becoming the first American woman to achieve the 100m-200m double at a World Championships.