Track and Field Worlds men's 200m preview: Time to deliver as Lyles, Knighton, Kerley sprint for 2022 title
After levels of hype reached fever pitch in the build-up to the World Athletics Championships, it's time for the best men's 200m runners including Erriyon Knighton and Noah Lyles to show their mettle in Oregon, with Fred Kerley back in action after his 100m success.
Athletics
If you're not yet excited about the men's 200m competition at the 2022 Track & Field World Championships in Oregon, you should be.
While the 100m is often seen as the blue ribband event of athletics, it is the half-lap race that has captured the attention of the world this year. Reigning world champ Noah Lyles of the USA takes on the electric young Under-20 world record holder at the half lap distance, Erriyon Knighton, while new 100m world champ Fred Kerley must be a contender given his form in the shorter sprint distance.
Olympic gold medallist Andre De Grasse had also been due to compete in the 200m, but having had less than ideal preparation for these Worlds, suffering with injury and a recent bout of COVID, the Canadian withdrew following the 100m in Oregon.
Lyles comes into the championships having defeated Knighton at last month's US trials on the same Hayward Field track where the Worlds are taking place. However, he'll have to be at - or even improve on - his excellent best to defeat teenage prodigy Knighton, whose PB of 19.49 seconds made him the fourth-fastest 200m runner in history in May this year.
Find out everything you need to know about the Track & Field World Championships men's 200m competition below.
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When and where will the men's 200m competition take place at the 2022 Worlds?
The Track & Field World Championships men's 200m will take place at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. The track is notoriously fast - with one recent example being last year when Elaine Thompson-Herah clocked 10.54 to become the second-fastest woman in history at the Prefontaine Classic.
The heats of the men's 200m take place on Monday 18 July 2022 at 17:05pm local time in Eugene (00:05 GMT on Tuesday 19th July), with the semi-final at 18:50 on 19 July. The final comes two days later at 19:50 on 21 July.
Stars to watch in the men's 200m
While Lyles is the reigning world champion and De Grasse the holder of the Olympic title, much of the talk heading into the Games has centred around the USA's 18-year-old sprint sensation Knighton.
The reigning Under 18 and Under 20 world record holder is also the fourth-fastest man in history, behind only Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, and Michael Johnson - all bonafide legends.
Now there are whispers he may be able to achieve something once thought impossible - the senior 200m world record of 19.19 set by Bolt in 2009.
READ MORE: Can Erriyon Knighton break Usain Bolt's world record?
However, in the lead-up to these championships, Knighton succumbed to the challenge of compatriot Lyles at the US trials in June. It was a timely reminder of the immense talent of Lyles, whose own PB of 19.50 is only a hundredth of a second slower than Knighton's own.
While Lyles' win in the 2019 World Championships in Doha was the crowning moment of his career to date, he was left feeling hurt by his third-place finish at last year's Olympic Games in Tokyo. The victor that day was Canadian De Grasse, who upgraded his Rio 2016 silver medal to gold with a spectacular run in Japan.
“I don’t want it to ever happen again," said Lyles of De Grasse's victory. "I’m going to keep working to make sure that nobody can ever hold a candle to me in the 200m.”
De Grasse withdrawing 24-hours before the start of the 200m heats in Oregon should give Lyles and others a boost, but the new men's 100m World Champion Fred Kerley will also be in the mix during the 200m competition. The fastest man over 100m this year could well spring a surprise over the half-lap distance having posted the fourth-fastest 200m time this year with a 19.80 in April. The USA's former 400m runner is also a silver medallist from Tokyo 2020 in 2021, and will be high on confidence.
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Men's 200m schedule at 2022 World Athletics Championships
Monday 18 July
Heats: 17:05pm Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
Tuesday 19 July
Semi-finals: 18:50pm
Thursday 21 July
Final: 19:50pm