Noah Lyles Wins 200m Gold, Breaks Michael Johnson's American Record at 19.31 Seconds

Noah Lyles broke the American record in the men's 200 meters Thursday night with a 19.31-second performance to pull away from the field at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon.

Lyles eclipsed the previous mark held by Michael Johnson (19.32) by one-hundredth of a second, and Johnson was on hand to witness the passing of the torch.

The clock initially showed a tie at 19.32 before the official time confirmed the new record.

"I didn't want to see '32,' I didn't want to share a record," Lyles said, per Eddie Pells of the Associated Press. "Nobody wants to share a record. I think even Michael Johnson doesn't want to share a record. So I was just begging it to change."

Johnson added: "He just said he had a great race. He said he worked harder than he ever did. I thought he ran a great curve. And so, it was fantastic."

This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.

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