Noah Lyles 'breaks' 200m world record before being told he only ran 185m

Starting block of American sprinter was placed at wrong spot during high-tech meet across different countries

Noah Lyles competes in the men's 200m during the Inspiration Games exhibition event, which was held remotely across different countries. AFP

The United States' Noah Lyles competes in the men's 200m during the Inspiration Games exhibition event, held remotely across different countries, at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida on Thursday. AFP

Noah Lyles of the United States competes in the 200m race during the Inspiration Games at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. AFP

Noah Lyles only ran 185 during his 200m race at the Inspiration Games in Florida. AFP

The shoes of Noah Lyles during the 200m race of the Inspiration Games. AFP

Noah Lyles only ran 185m during the Inspiration Games at IMG Academy. AFP

Noah Lyles of the United States competes in the 200m during the Inspiration Games. AFP

Noah Lyles of the United States competes in the 200m race, which was won by Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre in Zurich. AFP

A unique attempt to hold a high-tech athletics meeting with runners in different stadiums ran into problems on Thursday when world champion Noah Lyles ran too short a distance in the 200 metres event.

Lyles, running in Florida, completed the race at the Inspiration Games in 18.90 seconds – which would have broken Usain Bolt's world record of 19.19 seconds and his own personal best of 19.50s.

But, after initial confusion, his official result read 'shorter distance' and it appeared that the American had started from the wrong line; the world champion's starting block was in the wrong place. Swiss television said he had only run 185 metres, according to Reuters.

The race was won by France's Christophe Lemaitre, running in Zurich, in 19.80 seconds, one hundredth of a second ahead of Dutchman Churandy Martina, who was running in the Netherlands.

“You can’t be playing with my emotions like this…. got me in the wrong lane smh,” Lyles tweeted later.

The meeting was the Zurich Weltklasse's answer to the coronavirus which has prevented conventional events from taking place.

It was using technology that allowed athletes compete against each other from different venues.

"Special times require special approaches and that's what we invented," Andreas Hediger, the co-director of the Inspiration Games, was quoted as saying by Reuters. "We go to the athletes if the athletes cannot come to Zurich."

The starting guns were synchronised and the three runners in each track shown on a split screen, although different camera angles made it difficult to tell who the leader was until the finish line came into view.