On Thursday night, Noah Lyles broke an American record that stood for 26 years and was held by an Olympic legend.
Defending his title, Lyles ran the 200 meters in 19.31 seconds at the World Championships in Eugene, OR.
That breaks the American record of 19.32 seconds set by Michael Johnson — four-time Olympic gold medalist and eight-time World Championships gold medalist — in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics.
It’s one thing to read about running the 200m in 19.31, but it’s even more incredible to see it in action.
Check out this blazing, record-breaking speed from Lyles:
It’s the fourth-fastest time ever, trailing only Jamaicans Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake. Bolt ran the 200m in 19.19 seconds (a world record that will be hard to ever top, and that time feels especially insane after how fast Lyles looked on Thursday night), while Blake did so in 19.26 seconds.
Lyles’ 200m American record left the sports fans in awe. Here’s a peek at the reaction to Lyles’ 19.31-second dash:
At the IAAF World Championships, Noah Lyles wins his second straight gold medal in the 200 meters with a time of 19.31 seconds.
That breaks the American record of 19.32 seconds set by Michael Johnson in 1996, 11.5 months before Lyles was born. pic.twitter.com/X7qyiG8GAa
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 22, 2022
Noah Lyles
19.31 200-just beat Michael Johnson’s American record!
Just incredible!!— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) July 22, 2022
Related: Sydney McLaughlin breaks her own world record in 400m hurdles