Noah Lyles was forced to pull up midway through the 200-meter final at the U.S. track and field championships on Sunday, resulting in a rare defeat in his signature event and paving the way for Garrett Kaalund of the University of Southern California to claim the title. The meet took place at Icahn Stadium in New York.

Lyles, a four-time world champion in the 200 meters, appeared to be in contention as he rounded the final curve but slowed significantly entering the home straight and ultimately eased off before the finish line. The 24-year-old still crossed the line to congratulate the 22-year-old Kaalund, who won the race with a time of 20.04 seconds. Lyles attributed his slowdown to a mild cramp but confirmed he was otherwise uninjured. His fifth U.S. title in the 200 meters ties him with Michael Johnson for the most in history.

In the women’s 200-meter final, reigning world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden successfully defended her national crown, posting a season-best 21.69 seconds to secure her second consecutive title at the distance.

The women’s long jump competition featured a dramatic finish, with Olympic and world champion Tara Davis-Woodhall initially appearing to clinch victory with her final leap. However, after a protest and video review, officials determined the jump was a foul. The ruling was upheld on appeal, ultimately leaving Davis-Woodhall in third place. Alyssa Jones won the event with a best mark of 6.96 meters (22 feet, 10 inches).

Additional winners at the championships included Nia Akins in the women’s 800 meters, Cooper Lutkenhaus in the men’s 800 meters, Emily Mackay and Vincent Ciattei in the women’s and men’s 5,000-meter races respectively, Jordan Geist in the men’s shot put, and Vashti Cunningham in the women’s high jump.