Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek to clash again in Poland after heated U.S. finals
The beef between the two American sprinters is sizzling, and they’ve got one last showdown before worlds on Aug. 16
Kevin Morris
Track fans, buckle up. We finally have the sprint rivalry we’ve been waiting for since the days of Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin.
Over the weekend at the USATF Track and Field Championships, tensions flared between world 200m champion Noah Lyles and Olympic 200m silver medallist Kenny Bednarek—and now the two American sprinters are set to clash again in the men’s 100m at the Silesia Diamond League on Aug. 16.
Noah Lyles vs. Kenny Bednarek didn’t disappoint in a tense 200m. 🍿
📺 NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/NEADV4AcKF
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 3, 2025
The beef began after Lyles surged past Bednarek in the final 50 metres of the national 200m final, clocking a world-leading 19.64 seconds. But instead of passing his rival quietly, Lyles looked over his shoulder and gave Bednarek a cold glare. Bednarek didn’t take kindly to it, shortly retaliating with a two-handed shove at the finish line. Lyles said to Bednarek after the shove that he “expects his apology.”
Bednarek, however, doubled down. “The shove doesn’t matter,” he told reporters in the mixed zone. “What Lyles did was disrespectful, unsportsmanlike shit.”
Now, the two will settle the score in a must-watch rematch in Silesia, Poland. Both athletes enter the race aiming to secure a spot in the Diamond League Final in Zurich the following week, but this race is about more than times or points. It’s personal.
While Lyles enters with the world lead in the 200m, Bednarek has something to prove in the shorter sprint after winning the U.S. 100m title in Eugene, Ore. Lyles did not run the 100m after the heats due to his automatic berth as reigning world champion.
But the American duo won’t have the spotlight to themselves in Silesia. The race is shaping up to be the most stacked 100m field since last summer’s final in Paris. Jamaican star Kishane Thompson is set to race. Thompson, who nearly beat Lyles in Paris, owns the world-leading time of 9.75 seconds from the Jamaican championships.
