Lyles stares down Bednarek, takes shove at U.S. nationals

Noah Lyles landed the day’s biggest blow on the track, passing Kenny Bednarek for the win, then looking his way to talk some trash.

Bednarek’s answer was a two-handed shove in the back after the finish line, some more heated words and a challenge for a rematch that can’t come soon enough.

U.S. track championships turned physical Sunday, with Lyles and Bednarek getting involved in a shoving and shouting match as they crossed the finish line of a hotly contested 200-meter final.

“Like I’ve said before, Noah’s going be Noah,” Bednarek said. “If he wants to stare me down, that’s fine.”

Lyles reeled in Bednarek to win in 19.63 seconds for a .04-second victory that sets up a rematch at world championships, on Sept. 19 in Tokyo.

The best action in Round 1 came after the finish line. There was jawing, the shove and, then, Lyles turning around, backpedaling, reaching his arms out and hopping like a boxer before lobbing a few more choice words at Bednarek.

Their argument bled into the start of what is normally a celebratory NBC winner’s interview.

“I tell ya, if you’ve got a problem, I expect a call,” Bednarek said, as the network’s Lewis Johnson moved the mic between the runners.

Lyles replied: “You know what, you’re right. You’re right. Let’s talk after this.”

Though they shook hands during that tense post-race, Bednarek was fired up well after the sprinters had left the track.

“The summary is, don’t do that to me,” he said. “I don’t do any of that stuff. It’s not good character right there. That’s pretty much it. At the end of the day, he won the race. I’ve got to give him props. He was the better man today.”

The win itself was no big surprise for Lyles, the three-time defending world champion who will have to get past Bednarek to make it four in Tokyo. Bednarek was asked what Lyles said as he turned around and gloated after securing his fifth national title at his favorite distance.

“What he said didn’t matter, it’s just what he did,” Bednarek said. “Unsportsmanlike (expletive) and I don’t deal with that. It’s a respect factor. He’s fresh. Last time we lined it up, I beat him, that’s all I can say. Next time we line up, I’m going to win. That’s all that matters.”

Asked to expand on his role in the tiff, Lyles was less forthcoming: “On coach’s orders, no comment.”

As is common in a year after the Olympics — and in an era after Usain Bolt — track is a sport desperately in need of some energy. Who else to provide it than Lyles, the sport’s most engaging character this side of Sha’Carri Richardson, who found herself in off-the-track headlines again this weekend.

Up to now, track media and the runners themselves have tried to generate rivalries between Lyles and Erriyon Knighton (fizzled), Letsile Tebogo (beat him in the Olympics last year) and, of course, NFL receiver Tyreek Hill (supposed grudge match never took place).

Turns out, they probably should have looked at the lane next to him. Bednarek has won silver and beaten Lyles the last two times they’ve lined up in the 200 at the Olympics, even though Lyles has had issues at both — in Tokyo with his mental health, then in Paris with COVID.

Bednarek referenced some long-simmering issues between the two.

“Just some personal stuff we’ve got to handle,” he said.

But when asked for something, anything, about this burgeoning rivalry, Lyles demurred, instead focusing on what a difficult year this has been for him after an injury in April kept him out of spikes until June.

“If they ain’t gonna beat me now, they ain’t gonna beat me ever,” Lyles said.

Bednarek isn’t so sure of that.

The 200 final was Bednarek’s fifth race of the week, counting the three heats of the 100 meters, where he won the final Friday. Lyles, who has an automatic spot at worlds in that event as the defending champion, only ran one heat of the 100.

“We’ll go fresh and we’ll see what happens,” Bednarek said. “Because I’m very confident I can beat him. That’s all I can say.”

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games