Kenny Bednarek Criticizes Noah Lyles After 200m Shoving Match: ‘it’s Not Good Character’

The US way championships turned beingness connected Sunday, pinch Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek progressive successful a shoving lucifer aft they crossed nan decorativeness statement of a hotly contested 200m final.

“Like I’ve said before, Noah’s going beryllium Noah,” Bednarek said. “If he wants to look maine down, that’s fine.”

Lyles reeled successful Bednarek and crossed successful 19.63 seconds for a 0.04sec triumph that sets up a rematch astatine nan world championships, which return spot adjacent period successful Tokyo.

The champion action connected Sunday arguably came aft nan decorativeness line. There was jawing, nan shove and, then, Lyles turning around, backpedaling, reaching his arms retired and bouncing up and down for illustration a boxer earlier lobbing a fewer much prime words astatine Bednarek.

Their statement bled into nan post-race interview.

“I show ya, if you’ve sewage a problem, I expect a call,” Bednarek said, arsenic NBC’s Lewis Johnson moved nan mic betwixt nan runners.

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

Though they shook hands during nan interview, Bednarek was fired up good aft nan sprinters had near nan track.

“The summary is, don’t do that to me,” he said. “I don’t do immoderate of that stuff. It’s not bully characteristic correct there. That’s beautiful overmuch it. At nan extremity of nan day, he won nan race. I’ve sewage to springiness him props. He was nan amended man today.”

The triumph itself was nary large astonishment for Lyles, nan three-time defending world champion who will person to get past Bednarek to make it 4 successful Tokyo. Bednarek was asked what Lyles said arsenic he turned astir and gloated aft securing his 5th nationalist title astatine his favourite distance.

“What he said didn’t matter, it’s conscionable what he did,” Bednarek said. “Unsportsmanlike … and I don’t woody pinch that. It’s a respect factor. He’s fresh. Last clip we lined it up, I hit him, that’s each I tin say. Next clip we statement up, I’m going to win. That’s each that matters.”

Asked to grow connected his domiciled successful nan tiff, Lyles was little forthcoming: “On coach’s orders, nary comment.”

Bednarek has won metallic and beaten Lyles nan past 2 times they’ve lined up successful nan 200m astatine nan Olympics, moreover though Lyles has had issues astatine some – successful Tokyo pinch his intelligence health, then successful Paris pinch Covid.

“We’ll spell caller and we’ll spot what happens,” Bednarek said. “Because I’m very assured I tin hit him. That’s each I tin say.”