The Inspiration Games, Thursday in Zurich, were marked by an unusual event: Noah Lyles ran the 200 meters in 18.90, a time clearly faster than the world record by Usain Bolt (19.19). But after verification, it appeared that the American had started from the wrong place and had only covered 185 meters.
Canceled due to the health crisis, the meeting in Zurich, counting for the Diamond League, proposed a new format, called “Inspiration Games“, bringing together in different places, in Europe and the United States, athletic stars divided into three teams, Europe, United States and the rest of the world.
Thus the 200m saw the Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre in Zurich, the Dutchman Churandy Martina in Papendal and the American world champion Noah Lyles in Bradenton.
Lyles therefore achieved a great time, 18.90, which would have allowed him to pulverize the world record of Usain Bolt (19.19). The American had however started from a bad mark and ran only 185 meters. Victory went to Lemaitre in 20.65, ahead of Martina in 20.81.
“You can’t play with my emotions like that“, reacted on Twitter Lyles.”I was put in the wrong hall“.
The other events notably saw the pole vault victory of the Americans Sam Kendricks (5m81) and Sandi Morris (4m66), of the Portuguese Pedro Pichardo in the triple jump (17m40), of the American Allyson Felix (16.81) 150 meters, Canadian Andre De Grasse (9.68) over 100 yards and American Georganne Moline (39.08) over 300m hurdles.
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