NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Noah Lyles pulled up halfway through the 200-meter final at U.S. track championships Sunday, suffering a rare loss in his best race and allowing USC’s Garrett Kaalund to take the title.
In the women’s race at Icahn Stadium in New York 鈥� the site of Usain Bolt’s first world record, back in 2008 鈥� reigning world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden cruised to her second straight national title in a season-best 21.69.
Lyles, the four-time world champion at the distance, was in decent shape rounding the turn, but as he pulled into the stretch, he slowed and shut it down. He made it to the finish line to congratulate Kaalund, a 22-year-old who won NCAA indoors at the distance earlier this year. Kaalund’s winning time was 20.04.
鈥淚 just felt a grabbing sensation. I was like, 鈥榊eah, this is the time to stop. There鈥檚 no reason to push this,’鈥� said Lyles, who stays tied with Michael Johnson with five U.S. titles at 200 meters. “It was a somewhat of a cramp. I鈥檓 fine. I just need to get stretched out, get some electrolytes in my system, but I鈥檒l be good.鈥�
This marked only the fourth time Lyles has lost a 200 since he started dominating the distance in 2018, shortly after Usain Bolt left the sport. Two of those losses have come at the last two Olympics. Earlier in the week, Lyles won the 100 meters, the distance where he is the reigning Olympic champion.
Kaalund said he came to nationals just 鈥渢o train myself against the best.鈥�
鈥淚 wasn’t looking for (any) medals, I just wanted to see where I was,鈥� he said.
Joining him at the top of the medals stand was Jefferson-Wooden, whose main challenger, Gabby Thomas, has been running well but
There are no world championships this year, though world athletics is introducing the Ultimate Championships, where a $150,000 first prize will be on the line in a race expected to feature Jefferson-Wooden, Thomas and Julien Alfred, who finished runner-up to Thomas at the Paris Games.
The LA Games are two years away.
鈥淚 feel like with women鈥檚 sprints today it’s like that every single time we line up,鈥� Jefferson-Wooden said. 鈥淚 watch their races. They watch mine. These next few years are going to be interesting to see.鈥�
Others winners Sunday were Nia Akins (women鈥檚 800), Cooper Lutkenhaus (men鈥檚 800), Emily Mackay (women鈥檚 5,000), Vincent Ciattei (men鈥檚 5,000), Jordan Geist (men鈥檚 shot put), Vashti Cunningham (women鈥檚 high jump), Chris Nilsen (men鈥檚 pole vault), Valarie Sion (women鈥檚 discus), Christopher Robinson (men鈥檚 400 hurdles) and Anna Cockrell (women鈥檚 400 hurdles) .
Cordell Tinch closed out the meet with a lean at the finish line to take the 110-meter hurdles title over Bradley Franklin.
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