Letsile Tebogo’s Shocking Noah Lyles Claim Splits Track Community Ahead of World Championships

Noah Lyles is finally finding his rhythm after a rocky start to the year. An ankle injury in April sidelined him for two months, but his June return was nothing short of spectacular. He announced his comeback at the Monaco Diamond League, blazing through the 200m in 19.88s, getting a podium finish. While his rivals had a head start, Lyles was closing in fast, and at the Zurich finale in Letzigrund Stadium, he silenced doubts by clocking 19.74s to beat his Paris Olympic nemesis, Letsile Tebogo. It was a phenomenal redemption for the face of global sprinting in the post-Usain Bolt era. Tebogo, despite the loss, didn’t back down, but his post-race comments toward Lyles carried a tone many in the community saw as disrespectful.

Missing the gold by just 0.02 seconds, Tebogo accepted his defeat gracefully, but his blistering speed should be a concern for the reigning world champion. The sprinter from Botswana led the race from the start, but Lyles’ calm composure helped him pull ahead in the final stretch. It was a toe-to-toe battle, and with this performance, Tebogo has certainly made his mark just before the start of the World Championships.

Talking about his performance at the Zurich finale, he said, “This is not my true potential right now. I feel there is still a lot more in the tank that people need to see. I take this as a big motivation for my training, and from tomorrow, until the last day of the 200m final, I have to give it all my best. I have to give it all out. I have been preparing for this race for so long, only to lose it at the last finish.”

If we set aside his 100m sprints, which were nothing short of a disaster, with him rarely cracking the top five, his 200m campaign was impressive. He clinched first in Doha (20.10) and Eugene (19.76), followed by strong second-place finishes in Monaco (19.97) and Zurich (19.76). After these comments, Tebogo took a dig at Lyles, which certainly came as a shock to the community, “This is the strong part of me – you have to let do the legs do the talk. Because the more you are talk and you cannot prove it, it means you only talk, you do not prove yourself. But for me, I do not talk, I just let the legs do its thing. I think now, Lyles is humble. He knows what can happen in this sport. He wins today, tomorrow, he can lose it. I believe since Paris, he has been humble, he has not been talking so much.”

He further added, “But I believe, the more he is afraid of the other athlete. Now, he is just calmer. We are equally balanced at the moment. For sure, I am going to double in Tokyo. I just want to let it all out.” Well, his words do hold some truth, as the 100m sprint has been disastrous for him recently. He lost to Oblique Seville in London, then clocked 10.05 to win the heats at the USATF Championships before pulling out. Later, he was defeated again by Kishane Thompson. He might be having a hard time finding his composure in the 100m sprint, but is he afraid? Certainly not, and the community knows it as well.

Fans come in support of Noah Lyles after Letsile Tebogo’s confession

Noah Lyles faced a tough blow at the Paris Olympics, finishing third in the 200m behind Kenny Bednarek and Letsile Tebogo. Despite the setback, Lyles accepted the defeat with grace, but there was more to the story. Just hours before the final, on the morning of Tuesday, August 6, 2024, he woke up shivering with chills, body aches, and a sore throat. A quick test confirmed his fears; he had contracted COVID. After a brief rest, Lyles chose to compete anyway, relying on sheer willpower. But in the end, his illness prevailed over his body. Reminding the Botswanan of this, one fan commented, “He didn’t lose to you in Paris. He had Covid.”

Lyles has always shown respect towards Tebogo, but the Botswanan sprinter doesn’t seem ready to let go of Lyles’ bold persona. Even back at the Paris Olympics, Tebogo hinted that he couldn’t be the face of athletics because he wasn’t as ‘arrogant or loud’ as Noah Lyles. Now, this marks the second time he’s thrown shade at the American star. One fan was quick to remind Tebogo of that—and the infamous COVID scare too, “Now where is this coming from? Noah has been nothing but respectful to you. and you have only won against him once in your entire career, and that was due to COVID. What a dunce!”

Finally, after all the criticism, Tebogo received a wave of support from fans. One fan cheered, “Yes my guy Tebogo, let’s go f—— supporting you. You need to give us your best at the World Championship.”Another fan even crowned him the world’s best sprinter, saying, “Letsile is correct. He’s the best sprinter on earth because he can also do 43-second splits in the 400.” And, of course, someone couldn’t resist a 100m jab while rooting for him in the 200m: “Tebogo stands no chance in the 100m, but I really want him to take the 200m. He’s the only man who can end Lyles’ dominance.”

With all eyes now set on the World Championships, Noah Lyles has been collecting rivals like Infinity Stones. Be it Kenny Bednarek, Kishane Thompson, or Letsile Tebogo, everyone wants his crown. But will they succeed? Time will tell.