Noah Lyles shoved by rival Kenny Bednarek after 200M victory, sparks heated confrontation

U.S. track and field legend Carl Lewis says the sport "needs" Team USA sprinter Noah Lyles to dominate at the Olympics.

Noah Lyles took the 200-meter final at the U.S. track and field championships, but there was some tension after the race with Kenny Bednarek, the sprinter who finished just behind him. 

Bednarek shoved Lyles, who was looking back at him after crossing the finish line, and the two immediately got into that tense moment as Lyles was seen shouting something at Bednarek. 

Bednarek went to go shake Lyles’ hand, but the latter didn’t budge as he stared him down. Bednarek was seen explaining something to Lyles, who seemed to say to him "I expect my apology," before they separated. 

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Noah Lyles is pushed by Kenny Bednarek following the Xfinity Men's 200m final during the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field on August 03, 2025 in Eugene, Oregon. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

The crowd didn’t initially see the shove, but when video replay showed it on the Jumbotron at the track in Eugene, Oregon, a loud reaction occurred. 

This is a rivalry between Lyles and Bednarek, the latter of whom finishing with silver in the 200-meter at the Paris Olympics. Lyles finished with bronze in what’s expected to be his best event given his victory over Bednarek at the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials. 

Lyles, who had already won the 100-meter gold, was hoping to be crowned the 200-meter champion, cementing himself as the fastest man in the world. Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo won that race in Paris, marking the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal. 

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But while Lyles is a