Close, but not close enough.
American sprinter Noah Lyles was a world record holder for just a moment on Thursday when a lane mixup at the Inspiration Games had him beating Usain Bolt’s record in the men’s 200-meter by just 0.21 seconds.
USAIN BOLT REVEALS OLYMPIC-THEMED NAME FOR FIRSTBORN DAUGHTER
Lyles crossed the finish line at a track in Bradenton, Fla., in 18.90 seconds, beating Bolt’s 2009 world record of 19.19 seconds. Announcers were in shock immediately after the race and with good reason.
Lyles was told to start in the wrong track lane and actually only ran 185 meters, CBS Sports reported.
“You can’t be playing with my emotions like this.... got me in the wrong lane smh,” a disappointed Lyles said on Twitter.
CLICK HERE TO GET MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
The Inspiration Games, like all sporting events, was impacted by the pandemic. The virtual format included 30 athletes competing at seven different venues around the world at the exact same time, according to RunnersWorld.com.
Lyles, 22, is a two-time world champion after taking home the gold medal in the 200-meter and 4x100-meter relay at the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championship in Doha, Qatar.