Lyles beats Bednarek in 200m showdown, tension boils over at finish line
Bednarek's answer was a two-handed shove in the back after the finish line, some more heated words, and a challenge for a rematch that can't come soon enough.
U.S. track championships turned physical Sunday, with Lyles and Bednarek getting involved in a shoving and shouting match as they crossed the finish line of a hotly contested 200-meter final at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Lyles reeled in Bednarek and crossed in 19.63 seconds for a .04-second victory that sets up a rematch at world championships, on Sept. 19 in Tokyo.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won the 200 in a personal-best time of 21.84 seconds, while Olympic champion Gabby Thomas had to wait a few anxious moments to see if she earned a spot on the world team. She did as her name popped up in third place.
It was a winning weekend for Jefferson-Wooden, who also captured the 100. She will be joined in the 100 at worlds by Richardson, who has an automatic spot as the defending champion. Richardson didn't advance to the final in the 200.
The women's 400 hurdles was wide open with Olympic champion and world-record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone electing to focus on the open 400 ( she won the event Saturday ). Dalilah Muhammad, 35, took control and cruised to the win.
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