Lyles celebrates 25th with cruise through world qualifying

By EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Noah Lyles celebrated his 25th birthday by running the fastest time in 200-meter qualifying at world championships, a 19.98-second romp that he punctuated by playfully wagging his finger at the six other sprinters straggling behind. Lyles was part of a cavalcade of the world’s best sprinters — including 100 champions Fred Kerley and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah and 18-year-old Erriyon Knighton — who cruised through the first heats of the 200 without much fuss. Other winners on Day 4 at worlds included Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam in the heptathlon and Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas In triple jump. It was Rojas’ third world title.