American Noah Lyles was denied a new 200 metres world record in the Inspiration Games after it was revealed he ran only 185m.
The 22-year-old's time of 18.90 seconds would have usurped the 19.19-second mark set by Jamaican great Usain Bolt in 2009.
Lyles set the time racing alone against competitors simultaneously sprinting on tracks in Europe. Given his personal best is 19.50, the time was immediately challenged.
World champion Lyles later tweeted: "You can't be playing with my emotions like this....Got me in the wrong lane smh."
The farcical ending to one of the event's headline races will be a major embarrassment to Inspiration Games organisers.
