Paris Olympics: Noah Lyles cruises to 200m final to move one step closer to matching Usain Bolt

SAINT-DENIS, France — Noah Lyles moved one step closer to becoming the first man since Usain Bolt to pull off the Olympic sprint double.

The American settled for second place in his men’s 200 meters semifinal heat on Wednesday night, still good enough to advance to Thursday’s highly anticipated final. Lyles breezed across the finish line in 20.08 seconds, just behind Letsile Tebogo of Botswana (19.96).

On Sunday night, on Stade de France’s distinctive purple track, Lyles backed up his big talk and reaffirmed his claim to the title of World’s Fastest Man. He won the closest-ever Olympic men’s 100, clocking a personal-best 9.784 seconds to edge Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by five thousandths of a second.

It would be a surprise if the 200 final were quite so close.

Lyles has been almost unbeatable in his favorite race because the event reduces the impact of his sluggish starts and maximizes the qualities that make him special. He holds his speed as well as any sprinter since Bolt, typically enabling him to swallow up anyone in front of him as he rounds the curve and streaks toward the finish line.

The top challengers to Lyles in the 200 final on Thursday night could come from his fellow Americans. Kenny Bednarek, the 2021 Olympic silver medalist in the 200, won Wednesday night’s first semifinal heat in 20.0 seconds. Erriyon Knighton, still only 20, has won world championship medals in the 200 the past two years.

When asked earlier this week how confident he felt about winning the men’s 200 later, Lyles grinned and said, “Pretty confident, can’t lie.”

Added Lyles, “When I come off the turn, they will all be depressed.”