TOKYO (AP) — With a message-sending staredown, then the two-handed shove that followed , then the trash talk that came after that, Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek set the stage for what could be the best legit sprint rivalry track has seen in decades.

Their next showdown: track and field world championships in Tokyo.

Whether it was merely a dose of WWE-like bluster or there’s really something gnawing at two of the world’s best sprinters, the mix-up after Lyles’ 200-meter win at last month's U.S. championships delivered a ready-made storyline for a sport that struggles to capture the world’s imagination the way it did in the Usain Bolt era and before.

Worlds start Saturday when track unfolds its big tent in Tokyo for the first time since the COVID-tinged 2021 Olympics.

The highlight co

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