'Energised' Lyles makes happier Tokyo memories after heartbreak

There is more to Noah Lyles than just the showmanship, the grandstanding and the dyed orange hair.

The irrepressible American held off a stellar field in the 200m final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Friday to win his fourth successive world title in the discipline.

It forms a stark contrast to his Olympic results in the discipline – bronze in Tokyo in 2021, the same last year in Paris amid struggles with Covid.

But back in the Japanese capital, Lyles banished the painful memories Tokyo previously held to equal Usain Bolt's title record.

"I can't wait for 2027 to become the only man to win five 200 metres titles," said Lyles.

"I don't have good memories from Tokyo in 2021. At that time I was depressed, but this time I am energised. I love what I do and I am happy.

"My face is blasted everywhere over Tokyo. This is a joyous moment I am going to keep with me forever."

Noah Lyles claimed his seventh gold medal across World Athletics Championships

Lyles, dethroned as world 100m champion on Sunday as he took bronze, captured gold in his favoured discipline five days later to secure his eighth global title.

He had produced a statement performance in Thursday's semi-finals, setting the fastest time of 2025 in 19.51 seconds.

After a final where he was just 0.01 seconds slower, he celebrated by raising four fingers to the crowd.

It was at the World Championships two years ago that Lyles asserted himself as the dominant male sprinter on the sport's biggest stages with three golds in Budapest, before claiming the Olympic 100m title at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Prior to the championships, Lyles told reporters that he would take bronze in the 100m if it meant he would get 200m gold by breaking Bolt's world-record time.

He got the gold - but Bolt's record remains elusive for now.

Lyles' American team-mate Kenny Bednarek had to settle for silver – his fourth in a row across the last four Olympic and world championships.

Bednarek and Lyles have a tempestuous relationship, and almost came to blows at the US trials when Lyles stared down his opponent in beating him to the 200m title, to which Bednarek responded with a shove.

Bronze went to 21-year-old Jamaican Bryan Levell, with Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo fourth. Britain's Zharnel Hughes ran a season-best 19.78 for fifth.

Bol celebrates gold - and her upcoming wedding

With Olympic women's 400m hurdles champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opting to focus – with remarkable success – on the flat event, Femke Bol lived up to her favourite tag to retain her world title.

The Dutchwoman won in 51.54 seconds, while American Jasmine Jones took silver in a personal best of 52.03. Emma Zapletalova set a Slovakian national record of 53.00 to claim bronze.

Bol said taking a break after the Paris Olympics had helped her prepare for her successful season – as did planning her wedding.

She announced her engagement to Belgian pole vaulter Ben Broeders in July and said their upcoming nuptials were "a great distraction".

"As a track and field athlete you work really hard, but you also have a lot of time to rest, and it's also a nice thing to think about," she said.

Bol did, however, admit she could have competed against McLaughlin-Levrone, who beat her into third place on the way to gold in Paris.

"I most likely wouldn't be here with the gold medal but I really love to race her," said the 25-year-old of McLaughlin-Levrone.

"She's the best athlete to ever do it in my event so I would have loved to do it, but I also love to see her do so well in the 400 metres."

'Who's the best?' - Triple jump reaches incredible conclusion

Pedro Pichardo previously represented Cuba on the world stage

Arguably the most dramatic event of Friday was the men's triple jump, in which Portugal's Pedro Pichardo emulated the gold he won at the Tokyo Olympics in phenomenal style.

Pichardo led going into the final jumps with a distance of 17.55 metres – but this was spectacularly overtaken by Italy's Andrea Dallavalle.

Dallavalle, only fifth in the standings up to that point, leaped a massive personal best of 17.64m to take the lead.

With the women's 200m final delayed to allow the triple jump to conclude and the whole arena watching, Pichardo then jumped 17.91 metres with his final effort - the best of anyone this year.

"Who's the best?" he roared down the camera in celebration. There could be no argument.

Cuba's Lazaro Martinez, who pulled up with a muscle injury during his run up for his final jump, took bronze.