Noah Lyles: When World Champion Predicted He Will Break Usain Bolt’s 200m Record

• Noah Lyles predicted at the start of the year that he would break one of Usain Bolt's records
• Bolt was the runner with the most sub-20 races in the 200 metres event in history
• Lyles has since equalled and broken the record with at least two more high-profile races to come this year

Noah Lyles has steadily risen through the ranks over the years to become the best sprinter the world has ever seen in the 200m after Usain Bolt.

Usain Bolt's place in history is safeguarded and guaranteed, with the Jamaican often being used as a point of reference whenever a sprinting discussion comes up.

He is the record holder in the 100m, 200m and was part of the team that set the 4 by 100m relay record. Lyles is nowhere close to replicating the 19.19 seconds Bolt used in 2009 to set the 200m world record, but his personal best of 19.31 seconds is the third-fastest time in history.

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The American could also join Bolt as the only other male sprinter to win three consecutive world titles should he triumph in Budapest later this month. Bolt actually did it four times in a row between 2009 and 2015.

Sub-20 records in history

The world records might not be his yet, but the 25-year-old has continued to climb up the ladder slowly. Earlier this year, he predicted that he would surpass Bolt's record of the most sub-20 performances in the 200 metres.

While replying to a tweet by @KadeemBarett11, Lyles expressed confidence that he would break that Bolt record before the year was done.

"Looks like a new Sub 20 king will be crowned this year."

Kadeem had just shared the numbers of the most sub-20 races in history. At that time, Bolt was leading with 34 races, with Lyles only two behind. True to his word, Lyles has since racked up the numbers and hold the record with 35 races.

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Two of his wins to set the record came when he set world-leading times this year. He ran 19.67 seconds at the Kingston Grand Prix in Jamaica before using 19.47 seconds at the London Diamond League last month.

With still the World Championships and Diamond League finals to come this year, Lyles could widen the gap even further on the retired Bolt by the end of the season.

Lyles breaks Bolt's record

Sports Brief reported that Noah Lyles registered another brilliant run to win the London Diamond League on July 23. The American sprinter set a new World Lead in the 200-metres in a time of 19.47 seconds.

He broke his own record of 19.67 seconds that he set at the Kingston Grand Prix in May and is looking in fine shape to complete a double at the World Athletics Championships next month.

In London, he held off World U-20 Champion, Letsile Tebogo - who crossed the line at 19.50 seconds to set a new African record - as Zharnel Hughes set a new national record to complete the podium places in 19.73 seconds.