Watch: Mondo Duplantis Teases Noah Lyles With Query On Kenny Bednarek, Reaction Leaves Everyone In Splits
Mondo Duplantis humorously questioned Noah Lyles about a post-race shove from Kenny Bednarek, sparking laughter at a news conference.
Only a track and field superstar like Mondo Duplantis could pose such a mischievous question to Olympic 100-meter champion Noah Lyles.
The pole vault world record holder was curious about the shove Lyles received from Kenny Bednarek after winning the 200 at the United States national championships two weeks ago.
'Can I ask a question?" Duplantis inquired at the end of a multi-athlete news conference in Poland, with Lyles present but not Bednarek, on the eve of the sprinters renewing their rivalry in the 100 on the Diamond League circuit.
'I want to ask Noah about that stare down and that push," Duplantis said, smiling and looking directly at Lyles, 'because that (expletive) was kind of a crazy game."
Lyles repeated the response he had given on Aug. 4 in Eugene, Oregon, after the post-race incident with long-time teammate Bednarek seemed to ignite a must-see track rivalry ahead of the world championships next month in Tokyo.
Lyles was then invited to ask Duplantis a question. He humorously suggested that Duplantis should avoid setting another world record on Saturday so he might have a chance to win the ring awarded by meet organisers for the best performance.
'No comment, no comment," the U.S.-born Swedish star jokingly replied, eliciting more laughter.
Duplantis had set his 13th world record on Tuesday in Hungary, raising the bar to 6.29 meters. A year ago, he cleared 6.26 in Poland, adding a single centimeter to the record-setting mark that earned him Olympic gold in Paris last August.
The men's 100 meters is set to be the main event on Saturday, though Bednarek has since mentioned reconciling with Lyles in a lengthy conversation.
This will be the first 100 meters race between Lyles and Kishane Thompson since Paris, where the American won gold by five-thousandths of a second from the Jamaican, both clocking at 9.79 seconds.
Thompson enters Saturday as the fastest man in the world this year, having set a time of 9.75 in Kingston in June.
Bednarek ranks second on the season list with 9.79, achieved when he won the U.S. national title that Lyles skipped, as he has automatic entry to Tokyo as the defending champion from 2023.
'You basically have the Olympic final, maybe missing two people, with some just as fast participants," said Lyles, whose season best so far is 10 flat in London last month. 'It's going to be good, regardless."
'Of course," he added, 'having Kishane there makes it even better."
With AP Inputs
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Armand Duplantis Kenny Bednarek Noah Lyles
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First Published:
August 15, 2025, 20:29 IST
News sports Watch: Mondo Duplantis Teases Noah Lyles With Query On Kenny Bednarek, Reaction Leaves Everyone In Splits
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