Sports

World Champion Sprinter Shoved at the End of Heated Race

MYSTERY FEUD

Olympic medalists Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek got in a shouting match at the U.S. track championships.

Noah Lyles is pushed by Kenny Bednarek following the Men's 200m final during the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field on August 03, 2025 in Eugene, Oregon.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Sprinter Kenny Bednarek shoved world champion Noah Lyles after Lyles bested him during a tense 200-meter final and the U.S. track championships over the weekend. Bednarek was leading the pack with about 10 meters to go, but then Lyles passed him and stared him down as he crossed the finish line first. Bednarek then shoved Lyles from behind, and the two men began arguing. Eventually, they shook hands and agreed to hash out their differences in private, but the tension carried into their post-race interview. “Just some personal stuff we’ve got to handle,” Bednarek said. “On coach’s orders, no comment,” Lyles told reporters. The 28-year-old is a three-time world champion in the 200 meters and won gold at the Paris Olympics in the 100 meters and bronze in the 200 meters. Bednarek, 26, won silver in the 200 meters at both the Tokyo and Paris games. Over the weekend, he won his first national title in the 100 meters. The two men will have a chance at a rematch at the world championships in Tokyo on Sept. 19.

Noah Lyles stares down Kenny Bednarek as he passed him at the end of the Men's 200 meter final at the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Noah Lyles stared down Kenny Bednarek as he passed him at the end of the Men's 200 meter final at the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
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