The men’s 200m competition at the 2025 World Athletics Championships began with commanding performances from its top contenders, as reigning world champion Noah Lyles and Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo comfortably won their respective heats on Wednesday.
Lyles clocked 19.99 seconds to win his heat with ease. “The body is feeling good and definitely waking up,” he said. “The goal here was to blast through the first 100m and I got that done.”
In the final heat, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo put his 100m false start behind him, winning in 20.18 seconds. “It didn’t happen in the 100m, so now I have to fully focus on 200m,” Tebogo stated, signaling his intent for a medal.
The qualifying rounds produced several other blistering times. American Kenny Bednarek, seeking redemption after a fourth-place finish in the 100m, won his heat in 19.98 seconds. Zimbabwe’s Tapiwanashe Makarawu posted the fastest time of the night at 19.91 seconds, while Courtney Lindsey of the USA also dipped under the 20-second mark with a 19.95-second finish.
Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic set a high bar by winning his heat in 20.10 seconds, ahead of South Africa’s 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk, who also advanced. “I’m going for gold and some records that need to be broken,” Ogando declared.
A major highlight was the debut of 17-year-old Australian sensation Gout Gout, who earned loud cheers after securing an automatic qualifying spot with a third-place finish. “This is a memorable experience and I cannot wait for the semi-final,” Gout remarked. “The field is insane. I have got to step up out there and prove myself right.”
The depth of the field was evident in a stacked heat featuring Lyles, Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, and Canada’s Andre De Grasse. While Lyles dominated, both Hughes and De Grasse also advanced to the semi-finals, with De Grasse securing his place based on time after finishing fourth.
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