Bad blood. Lyles shoved by Bednarek after his win in 200 meters at US nationals

Noah Lyles landed the day’s biggest blow on the track, passing Kenny Bednarek for the win, then looking his way to talk some trash.

Bednarek’s answer was a two-handed shove in the back after the finish line, some more heated words and a challenge for a rematch that can’t come soon enough.

U.S. track championships turned physical Sunday, with Lyles and Bednarek getting involved in a shoving and shouting match as they crossed the finish line of a hotly contested 200-meter final at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

“Like I’ve said before, Noah’s going be Noah,” Bednarek said. “If he wants to stare me down, that’s fine.”

Lyles reeled in Bednarek and crossed in 19.63 seconds for a .04-second victory that sets up a rematch at world championships, on Sept. 19 in Tokyo.

The best action in Round 1 came after the finish line. There was jawing, the shove and, then, Lyles turning around, backpedaling, reaching his arms out and bouncing up and down like a boxer before lobbing a few more choice words at Bednarek.

Their argument bled into the start of what is normally a celebratory NBC winner's interview.

“I tell ya, if you’ve got a problem, I expect a call,” Bednarek said, as the network's Lewis Johnson moved the mic between the runners.

Lyles replied: “You know what, you’re right. You’re right. Let’s talk after this.”

Though they shook hands during that tense post-race, Bednarek was fired up well after the sprinters had left the track.

“The summary is, don't do that to me,” he said. “I don't do any of that stuff. It's not good character right there. That's pretty much it. At the end of the day, he won the race. I've got to give him props. He was the better man today.”

The win itself was no big surprise for Lyles, the three-time defending world champion who will have to get past Bednarek to make it four in Tokyo. Bednarek was asked what Lyles said as he turned around and gloated after securing his fifth national title at his favorite distance.

“What he said didn't matter, it's just what he did,” Bednarek said. “Unsportsmanlike (expletive) and I don't deal with that. It's a respect factor. He's fresh. Last time we lined it up, I beat him, that's all I can say. Next time we line up, I'm going to win. That's all that matters.”

Asked to expand on his role in the tiff, Lyles was less forthcoming: “On coach's orders, no comment.”

As is common in a year after the Olympics — and in an era after Usain Bolt — track is a sport desperately in need of some energy. Who else to provide it than Lyles, the sport's most engaging character this side of Sha'Carri Richardson, who found herself in off-the-track headlines again this weekend.

Up to now, track media and the runners themselves have tried to generate rivalries between Lyles and Erriyon Knighton (fizzled), or Lyles and Letsile Tebogo (beat him in the Olympics last year) or, of course, between Lyles and NFL receiver Tyreek Hill (supposed grudge match never took place).

Turns out, they probably should have looked at the lane next to him. Bednarek has won silver and beaten Lyles the last two times they've lined up in the 200 at the Olympics, even though Lyles has had issues at both — in Tokyo with his mental health, then in Paris with COVID.

Bednarek referenced some long-simmering issues between the two.

“Just some personal stuff we've got to handle,” he said.

But when asked for something, anything, about this burgeoning rivalry, Lyles demurred, instead focusing on what a difficult year this has been for him after an injury in April kept him out of spikes until June.

“If they ain't gonna beat me now, they ain't gonna beat me ever," Lyles said.

Bednarek isn't so sure of that.

The 200 final was Bednarek's fifth race of the week, counting the three heats of the 100 meters, where he won the final Friday. Lyles, who has an automatic spot at worlds in that event as the defending champion, only ran one heat of the 100.

“We'll go fresh and we'll see what happens,” Bednarek said. “Because I'm very confident I can beat him. That's all I can say.”

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won the 200 in a personal-best time of 21.84 seconds, while Olympic champion Gabby Thomas had to wait a few anxious moments to see if she earned a spot on the world team. She did as her named popped up in third place.

It was a winning weekend for Jefferson-Wooden, who also captured the 100 on Friday. She will be joined in the 100 at worlds by Richardson, who has an automatic spot as the defending champion. Richardson didn't advance to the final in the 200.

The women’s 400 hurdles was wide open with Olympic champion and world-record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone electing to focus on the open 400 ( she won the event Saturday ). Dalilah Muhammad, 35, took control and cruised to the win.

One of the afternoon's most exciting finishes was in the men’s 800 meters, where 2019 world champion Donavan Brazier used a strong kick to hold off 16-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus and Bryce Hoppel.

In the 5,000 meters, Shelby Houlihan held off Elise Cranny by less than a second to win the title. Houlihan returned to track this year after serving a four-year doping ban. The former U.S. record holder in the 5,000 tested positive after eating a burrito she claimed was tainted with a performance-enhancing drug.

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Kenny Bednarek pushes Noah Lyles after the men's 200-meter finals during the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore.,Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Noah Lyles reacts after winning the men's 200-meter finals during the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore.,Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Noah Lyles wins the men's 200-meter final at the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek talk after the men's 200-meter final at the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Noah Lyles wins the men's 200-meter final at the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek talk after the men's 200-meter final at the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Noah Lyles wins the men's 200-meter final at the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Shelby Houlihan wins the women's 5,000-meter final at the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden reacts after winning the women's 200-meter final at the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden wins the women's 200-meter final at the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Kenny Bednarek pushes Noah Lyles after the men's 200-meter finals during the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore.,Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Noah Lyles reacts after winning the men's 200-meter finals during the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore.,Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Noah Lyles wins the men's 200-meter final at the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek talk after the men's 200-meter final at the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Noah Lyles wins the men's 200-meter final at the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek talk after the men's 200-meter final at the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Noah Lyles wins the men's 200-meter final at the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

In a dramatic video shared online by the Army ROTC, cadets at Virginia’s Old Dominion University are recounting how they stabbed and disarmed a gunman targeting their classroom, then frantically tried to save the life of the wounded instructor who grappled with the attacker.

In the 17-minute video posted Wednesday, the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets tell how Lt. Col. Brandon Shah lunged at the shooter during the March 12 incident at the Norfolk school, placing himself between the gunman and the class.

Cadet Jah-Ire Urtarte said Shah, who was shot and did not survive, saved lives that day.

“If he didn’t lunge at him, you know, I wouldn’t be here right now,” he said. “There’s a possibility he could’ve turned his gun and I could’ve been next.”

The shooter, Army National Guard veteran Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, also died. He had pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to aid the Islamic State and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He was on supervised release at the time of the attack.

The students say Jalloh walked into their classroom and nervously asked if it was an ROTC class. When someone confirmed that, they say he pulled a pistol from his waist, shouted 'Allahu akbar,’ and fired toward Shah.

Students dived for cover. As Shah struggled with Jalloh, Cadet Louis Ancheta said he pulled out his pocket knife, moved toward them and was hit in the chest by a round.

“It really didn’t feel like it hit me,” he said, pointing toward his sternum. “It felt like a graze. After that, I’m like, `I can keep on going.' ”

When Shah got the man turned around, Ancheta said he took action with the folding tactical knife that most cadets carry with them.

“So, I just go in there, just start stabbing him,” he said. “As I’m stabbing, other cadets jump in.”

Cadet Jeremy Rawlinson said he took out his knife, too, to help stop the threat.

Despite having several people on top of him, Jalloh still had the gun. Cadet Wesley Myers said he made that his priority, squeezing his fingers between Jalloh's hand and the weapon to pry it away and clear the final round from the chamber.

With the shooter disarmed, the cadets said they turned their attention to the wounded: Cadet Samuel Reineberg found a gunshot wound to Shah’s upper right thigh. Rawlinson handed him his belt for a tourniquet.

“On an instant, we switched over to doing combat care,” Rawlinson said.

Myers went to Ancheta.

“It’s different when it’s not a mannequin and it’s your friend,” Myers said. “So, myself and another cadet pull him to the side and lay him on his back and begin performing first aid.”

Ancheta said he asked them to call his mother.

Recovering, he received the Purple Heart — one of several cadets awarded medals for their response.

They praised Shah for taking action to protect them and for preparing them for the moment.

“So, he got to see all the training that he and the rest of Cadre had been giving us for the past years, he got to see us instantly do that in action,” Rawlinson said. “He got see right then and there, like, hey, these guys didn’t panic. They immediately switched over."

Shah attended Old Dominion University as an ROTC student, according to his biography on the university’s website, and had returned in 2022 as a leader for the program. In the Army, Shah had flown helicopters over Iraq, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe as a pilot.

Two days before the shooting, Shah had told cadets not to wear their uniforms around campus as a precaution, another cadet previously told The Associated Press.

“Because of all the situation that’s happening with Iran and all of that stuff in the Middle East,” said Cadet Brandon Rebolledo, who was in the nearby ROTC building when the shooting occurred. “To make sure that we did not become a target and to make sure that we were keeping a low profile.”

The students say Shah was the real hero that day.

“So, he has a saying: Be bold, be quick, be gone,’” Rawlinson said.

Added Cadet Oshea Bego: “Col. Shah really set that example for what it means, not just as a warrior, leader and soldier, but also just as a human being.”

FILE - A bouquet of flowers with a note and votive candles sits at the entrance of Constant Hall at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., on March 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed, File)