Track and field World Athletics Championships 2023 men’s 200m preview: Schedule & stars to watch
Defending champion Noah Lyles renews his 200m competition with Erriyon Knighton, just days after being crowed the 100m world champion. Discover the favourites, event schedule, and how to watch live action.
Athletics
Noah Lyles is ready to go for more track and field glory at this year's 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The newly crowned king of the men's 100m will set out to defend the world 200m crown he won last year. In doing so, he will once more come up against Erriyon Knighton and Kenny Bednarek, his American teammates who finished behind him to round out a USA medal sweep in 2022.
Also in the mix are the two men who joined Lyles on the 100m podium, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana and Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain.
The final of the men's 200m takes place on Friday, 25 August. Here's how can you follow and watch the action from the Championships.
Lyles aiming for 200m world record
Ahead of the Championships, Lyles stated his aim of running 19.10 in the men's 200m. If he does so, that would break Usain Bolt's 200m world record.
"Confidence is an interesting word, people think it’s automatic and comes out of nowhere," the American said in a Team USA press conference pre-Championships. "In reality it comes form multiple wins, multiple confirmations.
"Going into USAs (national trials) with Covid would definitely do off that confidence or mentality and making the team only strengthened it. Coming back two weeks later and running 19.4 (19.47, at London Diamond League) only strengthened it.
"If my coach is getting excited, and he is not a guy who doesn’t get excited at all, then I have a belief I’m going to do what I’m aiming for."
Tebogo became the first African man to win a World Championships 100m or 200m medal when he took silver behind Lyles in the straight sprint on Sunday, and he is also in the mix in the longer event.
The Botswana runner has a season best 19.50, behind only Lyles this year, and more than two-tenths ahead of Knighton, last year's bronze medallist.
Hughes, who won bronze in the 100m, rewrote the British national record this year and remains a threat alongside the 2022 silver medallist Bednarek.
World Athletics Championships 2023 men's 200m schedule
All times Central European Summer Time (UTC +2 hours, Eastern time +6 hours, Pacific time +9 hours)
Wednesday 23 August
- 12:15 – Heats (moved forward from 12:50 due to weather)
Thursday 24 August
- 20:20 – Semi-finals
Friday 25 August
- 21:50 – Final
How to watch World Athletics Championships 2023 men's 200m
In the United States, NBC holds the broadcast rights to the World Championships. Coverage will be on NBC's various channels including CNBC and NBC, and streamed on Peacock – check listings for further details.
Track and field fans in Europe can follow and watch the action through Warner Bros. Discovery. The broadcaster signed a deal with World Athletics to air the event live in more than 45 European countries (excluding the Nordic region) on its channels Discovery+, Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2, and the Eurosport App.
Athletics fans in the UK can also watch action on the BBC, while in Australia, all the sessions will be broadcast live on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand. CBC has the rights in Canada, and SuperSport and TVMS in Africa.
Sony Liv app and the website will live stream the championships in many countries in South Asia.
A full list of broadcasters is available here.