5 athletes who completed 100m and 200m double at World Athletics Championships ft. Noah Lyles and Usain Bolt
The 100m and 200m races have always been the most keenly anticipated amongst the fans in the athletics world. A few very special athletes have left their marks by winning gold in both these sprint events at a single championships. The greatest names are Maurice Greene, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay, Usain Bolt, and Noah Lyles.
Lyles is the latest name to join this rare club. He did so at the ongoing World Athletics Championships 2023 in Budapest. To mark this occasion, let's have a look at five sprinters who are part of this very special club.
#1 Maurice Greene - Double gold medal at World Championships in Athletics in 1999
Maurice Greene is the first athlete to win double gold in the same championship. He won the 100m in 9.80 seconds, creating a championship record. He exceeded Bruny Surin from Canada, who ran the sprint in 9.84 seconds.
Greene went on to win the 200m with a time of 19.90 seconds, leaving behind Claudinei da Silva from Brazil. At the 1999 World Championships in Athletics, he was also a part of the gold-winning relay team in 4x100m.
#2 Justin Gatlin - Double gold at World Championships in Athletics in 2005
Justin Gatlin won the gold medals in both events at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki. He ran his 100m sprint in 9.88 seconds.
He won the 200m with a spectacular time of 20.04 seconds, leaving his fellow American sprinters, Wallace Spearmon and John Capel, behind. Spearmon and Capel completed their sprints in 20.20 seconds and 20.31 seconds, respectively.
In the same race, Bolt pulled a muscle at about 150 meters and was the last one to cross the finish line.
#3 Tyson Gay - Double gold at World Championships in Athletics in 2007
Tyson Gay won the double gold in the World Championships in 2007, in Japan. He ran his 100m sprint in 9.85 seconds, leaving behind Asafa Powell and Derrick Atkins. Though Powell had a good start and led the race, Gay excelled and overtook Powell in the last moments.
Gay was victorious in the 200m when he completed the race in 19.76 seconds and created a championship record. He left Usain Bolt behind, who completed the race in 19.91 seconds. Gay has been a world championship medalist in the 100m twice, in 2007 and 2009.
#4 Usain Bolt - Double gold medal in 2009, 2013, and 2015
The legendary sprinter Usain Bolt earned golds in the 100m and the 200m at the same championships thrice - 2009, 2013, and 2015; in Berlin, Moscow, and Beijing, respectively.
His performance at the 2009 World Championships is remarkable. Bolt not only won the two medals but shattered the 100m and 200m world records in 9.58 seconds and 19.19 seconds, respectively. Both records still stand unbroken.
In 2013, Bolt won the gold with a time of 9.77 seconds leaving Justin Gatlin behind, and was victorious in the 200m with a time of 19.66 seconds. In the 2015 World Championships, he won a gold in both events, leaving Gatlin to settle for second place.
#5 Noah Lyles - Doble gold in 2023 WAC
Noah Lyles collected his double gold in 2023 in Budapest, Hungary. He was victorious in the men's 100m, leaving behind Letsile Tebogo. Lyles ran his sprint in 9.83 seconds, with Tebogo running in 9.88 seconds.
Five days later, he went on to win the men's 200m and defend his title. Lyles ran in a spectacular 19.52 seconds, leaving his fellow teammate Erriyon Knighton behind, who ran in 19.75 seconds.