Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo have long harbored an intense ambition to dominate the 200m sprint. When the Paris Olympics got closer, anticipation mounted for the 200m finale, where the spotlight was firmly set on the two contenders vying for the coveted gold medal. However, it was Tebogo’s impressive time of 19.46 that secured the medal, while Lyles, who had Covid-19 at the time, had to settle for bronze (19.70).

Then, at the Tokyo World Championships, Lyles reclaimed his 200m title, dominating the race with a time of 19.52 seconds. Meanwhile, Tebogo, despite a commendable effort, finished just shy of the podium, clocking in at 19.65 seconds to secure fourth place. And now, Tebogo has disclosed the real narrative behind their rivalry.

During an appearance on the “Life Unscripted with Lezozo” podcast, hosted by Kedi Molosiwa, Tebogo was asked if he was beefing with the American.  “Nah, before it was a real thing, and then he understood that we still have a long way to go, so we have to drop both of our egos and then just be rivals on the track and then outside the track, which is cool,” said Tebogo

Previously, Noah Lyles had strongly supported the idea of creating a significant, narrative-rich rivalry, expressing disappointment that track and field frequently falls short in developing the kind of storylines you see in basketball or soccer.

In a recent interview, Lyles said, “I think that if a rivalry is cared for in the correct manner, then yes, it can be good. But calling every competition of an athlete going up against another athlete a rivalry is not the same. There has to be a story. There has to be a purpose. There has to be intent.” But Tebogo unveiled an unexpected aspect of their relationship, one that seems unthinkable in the context of a genuine rivalry.

When asked if the two hung out away from the cameras, Botswana’s sprint star responded, “Yeah, we do. I think after in Tokyo, he—what do you call this?—he had a proposal party. Now he’s getting married, so he booked the whole club out and then sent a few invitations to people, so we just hung together, and then it was so much fun, and now we need to unwind and then just leave track and field for a couple of hours and just be normal human beings, so that’s what we did.”

This picture of two rivals enjoying a private, celebratory milestone together completely impacts how they compete with each other. It presents their track battles as a professional endeavor rather than a personal conflict. And whenever Lyles has addressed their rivalry, the tone has consistently been one of positivity.

Noah Lyles’ perfect portrayal of his rival Letsile Tebogo

Noah Lyles has chosen to approach his rivalry with Letsile Tebogo with a sense of professionalism, emphasizing respect over provocation.  In a revealing statement, Lyles recognized the formidable task of making a comeback from injury to compete against the Olympic champion, candidly remarking, “I put myself in the fire for that one coming back against Tebogo.”

Lyles has also examined his rival’s track dynamics with a keen strategist’s perspective, observing, “I already knew that Tebogo was going to get out, because every time we’re in a race, he tries to get off really hard. Even though I’ve watched a lot of the races, he won’t give as much energy for other people, so I guess I’ll consider that a very big compliment. So I knew that he was going to be out there.”

Beyond tactics, Lyles has praised Tebogo’s versatility across various sprint distances, underscoring the young athlete’s exceptional ability to secure medals in events ranging from the 100m to the 4x400m relay.

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This mutual admiration extends beyond the boundaries of the track, as Lyles has publicly praised Tebogo, referring to him as “A true man of the people” for his commendable efforts in supporting flood victims in his home country of Botswana. Lyles, through these statements, crafts an illustration of Tebogo not as an opponent, but rather as the ultimate worthy rival.