Noah Lyles Leads Fastest 200m Times in 2023 As He Aims to Break Usain Bolt’s Record

• Noah Lyles will be gunning for a third consecutive 200m world title
• The Tokyo Olympics Bronze medalist will also attempt to smash Usain Bolt's world record
• Erriyon Knighton and Letsile Tebogo are the other candidates to watch out for

Noah Lyles will be the overwhelming favourite to win the 200 metres world title at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

The Championships kick off on Saturday, August 19, in the Hungarian capital, with the 200 metres taking place from the 23rd (preliminaries) to the 25th (final).

Lyles will be angling to become the second man after Usain Bolt to win three consecutive 200 metres world titles. The Jamaican won four consecutive medals in the event between 2009 and 2015.

The American will face stiff competition from the likes of wunderkind Erriyon Knighton and Letsile Tebogo. The 26-year-old has also revealed his plans to challenge Bolt's world record, which stands at 19.19 seconds. Lyles's personal best is 19.31 seconds, which is the third-fastest time ever in the race.

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Fastest 200m times this year

Sports Brief takes a look at the fastest times in the 200 metres this year, per World Athletics.

5. Udodi Chudi (Nigeria) - 19.76 seconds

The NCAA champion will sadly miss out on the championships after sustaining a hamstring injury. He clocked 17.76 seconds on June 7 at the Mike Myers Stadium in Texas, the fifth fastest time this year.

4. Zharnel Hughes (Great Britain) - 19.73 seconds

This is the first of the three incredible times set at the London Diamond League on July 23. Hughes has been on a roll this season after he set new national records in the 100m and 200m. His time of 9.83 seconds is the fastest time in the 100m this year.

3. Erriyon Knighton (USA) - 19.72 seconds

At only 19 years of age, Knighton has exhibited class and sheer power beyond his age. He won bronze during last years's championships on home soil and he will be angling to go two better and win the whole thing. His season best of 19.72 seconds, set on July 9, is the third-fastest this year.

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2. Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) - 19.50 seconds

The World U-20 100m champion pushed Lyles all the way at the London Diamond League before settling for 19.50 seconds, a new African record.

1. Noah Lyles (USA) - 19.47 seconds

Lyles is the man to beat. He won the sensational London Diamond League to smash his own World Lead. He had previously run 19.67 seconds at the Kingston Grand Prix in Jamaica. The American has reiterated that first place is his; the rest can battle out for the remaining positions. But can he break Usain Bolt's record?

Fastest men in 2023

The build-up to the 2023 World Athletics Championships men's 100 metres has been slow, with no clear favourite ahead of the August 19 and 20 showdown.

Unlike in previous championships, where all eyes would be on Usain Bolt, this year's championships could go any way, with at least six heavyweights gunning for the gold medal. Fred Kerley will touch down in Budapest as the defending champion after a dominant race at the 2022 Championships in Oregon.

Sports Brief takes a look at the fastest times this season in the 100m.