NOAH LYLES sent a blunt message to fierce rival Kenny Bednarek after the sprinters came to blows during their 200m showdown.
Lyles was shoved by Kenny Bednarek during their blistering race in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday.
Noah Lyles was pushed by Kenny Bednarek in a feisty 200m race[/caption]
Lyles provocatively looked back at Bednarek as they crossed the finish line[/caption]
The tension between the two took a dramatic twist ahead of September’s world championship[/caption]
It was Lyles who did the talking on the track, passing Bednarek for the win before looking his way to talk some trash.
Lyles overtook leader Bednarek in the final five meters to win the national championship in 19.63 seconds, for a .04-second victory.
It was the world’s best time this year and Bednarek’s first defeat in 2025.
The 100m Olympic champion gave Bednarek a cold stare as he left him behind.
But Bednarek’s answer was a two-handed shove in the back after the finish line.
Feeling the push, Lyles began running backwards in Bednarek’s line of vision, while jumping up and down.
Bednarek then tried to shake his hand, while Florida-native Lyles said: “I expect my apology”.
Their argument went into the start of what is normally a celebratory NBC winner’s interview.
Bednarek, 26, said: “Like I’ve said before, Noah’s going be Noah. If he wants to stare me down, that’s fine.”
“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, 28, 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.
He added: “The summary is, don’t do that to me. 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.”
But when asked about their rivalry, Lyles chose to focus on what a difficult year this has been for him after an injury in April kept him out of spikes until June.
He sent a clear message saying: “‘If they ain’t gonna beat me now, they ain’t gonna beat me ever.”
Bednarek, who secured 200m silver over Lyles at both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, was still fired up long after he had left the track, describing his rival’s actions as “unsportsmanlike“.
The pair will rematch at the world championships on September 19 in Tokyo.
