Lyles wins third 200m title for rare world sprint double

American Noah Lyles won his third world 200m title on Friday to become the first male sprinter since Usain Bolt in 2015 to seal the sprint double at the World Athletics Championships.

Lyles, who charged to 100m gold last weekend, clocked 19.52sec for the win with teenage teammate Erriyon Knighton claiming silver in 19.75sec.

Botswana's 20-year-old Letsile Tebogo claimed the bronze medal in 19.81sec to go with his silver from the 100m.

Lyles, who now owns seven out of the 16 best 200m times ever, follows in the footsteps of now-retired Jamaican superstar Bolt, who completed the sprint double three times at these championships in 2009, 2013 and 2015.

He becomes just the fifth man to achieve the 100/200 metres world double after Bolt, and the American trio of Tyson Gay in 2007, Justin Gatlin in 2005 and Maurice Greene in 1999.

"It is a great feeling to know I did something not a lot of people have done," said Lyles.

"I wanted to show I am different. Today I came out and showed it. I am double champion.

"Usain Bolt has done it and him saying to me that he sees what I am doing and he respects it, it is amazing."

With a best time of 19.31sec in the 200m, Lyles is the third fastest man in history though still some way off Bolt's world record of 19.19sec set in 2009.

He had announced before the championships that he was aiming to break Bolt's record, but despite an electric start at the National Athletics Centre and a masterful home straight, that mark was never in danger.

Lyles had also vowed after his stunning victory in the 100m that he was aiming for a golden treble as a "start of a dynasty".

The US quartet earlier qualified for the 4x100m relay final on Saturday, winning their heat in a world-leading 37.68sec and offering Lyles the chance of that third gold should he be named in the final quartet.

"We have the 4x100m final tomorrow. Team USA did a great job in the qualifications. I am hoping to join the team and grab another gold," Lyles said.

 Another sub-19.55 

Lyles, who is being filmed for an NBC Sports documentary and will also feature in a Netflix series on the 100m currently in production, winked to the camera as the sprinters were introduced to a large crowd.

Drawn in lane six, Lyles got off to a cracker, rounding the bend in style and hitting the straight flying ahead of the field.

To put his time of 19.52sec in perspective, Lyles has gone 19.55sec or faster seven times compared to five for Bolt during his career.

Knighton, just 19, was elated with his second place.

"Bronze last year and now silver, so I got a trade up," he said.

"If I can join these guys every year, that is a whole lot of motivation. It does not matter what the colour of this medal is."

Tebogo called his bronze "a bonus".

"The main goal was to see how my body can react after so many rounds of fast running," he said.

"My performance in Budapest means a lot to me, to the country and to the continent, because it is not about me, it is about the people.

"I believe I am a role model for young people in Botswana because there have not been many sprinters from my country."

Britain's Zharnel Hughes, who won bronze in the 100m behind Lyles and Tebogo, finished in fourth in 20.02sec, just ahead of a third American, Kenny Bednarek, who clocked 20.07sec.

Canada's reigning Olympic champion Andre de Grasse came in sixth and Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic seventh.

Jamaican Andrew Hudson, included after running his semi-final on Thursay with glass in his eye after he was involved in a crash in the golf buggy transporting the athletes to the stadium, was eighth, with Joseph Fahnbulleh in ninth spot.