What could have been the perfect title for the men’s 200m showdown at the Herculis Diamond League in Monaco this Friday (July 11)? “Olympic Champion vs Olympic Champion”? Or maybe “The Revenge of Paris”? Either would have captured the weight of the moment. That’s the kind of aura this year’s 200m race carried. This year’s race brought together Noah Lyles, the reigning 100m Olympic champion, and Letsile Tebogo, who snatched 200m gold in Paris. Fittingly, Monaco is special turf for Lyles. He set the meet record of 19.46s here in 2022, a dashing win over Erriyon Knighton and Jereem Richards that still echoes today. Speaking of today, a new curse was lifted in a dramatic manner…

Heading into the Monaco Diamond League on Friday, Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo were locked in a 2-2, head-to-head record in the men’s 200m. However, Lyles had suffered two consecutive defeats to Tebogo, both coming at last year’s Paris Olympics. Before those setbacks, Lyles had the upper hand, having beaten the Botswanan sprinter in the 200m final at the World Championships in Budapest, where he took gold and Tebogo finished third. That meant Lyles had endured a 23-month wait to reclaim his edge—and on Friday in Monaco, he finally did just that.

On Friday, Noah Lyles clocked 19.88 seconds in his first 200m race in nearly a year. While he didn’t manage to break his own meet record, he did achieve something just as meaningful—redeeming his Olympic loss by defeating Letsile Tebogo. The win also kept his Diamond League dominance intact, marking his 12th consecutive victory in the men’s 200m on the circuit. The milestone clearly meant a lot to him. His emotions came through in his post-race comments: “I didn’t feel any pressure; I don’t see any reason to put pressure on myself. That’s what we love to do. I pray for times like this to be out here and do what I love. I come out here and I give my best.” Notably, the American athlete had almost a three-month break after his appearance in the 400m event at the Tom Jones Memorial. 

Noah Lyles was expected to compete in the men’s 100m at the adidas Atlanta City Games in Piedmont Park, but instead, he showed up on the sidelines as a cheerleader. The reason behind his absence? An injury. Choosing caution over risk, Noah decided to take things slow, waiting patiently for the right moment when everything aligned. That patience kept him off the track for a while. But when he finally made his return, the results spoke for themselves. And alongside his comeback, Noah also made good on a promise he had made earlier—delivering on both performance and purpose.

Noah Lyles is making July great

“My road to defending my world titles in Tokyo in September goes through London,” Noah Lyles declared, confirming his appearance at the London Diamond League. declared Noah Lyles, officially locking in his appearance at the London Diamond League. With a strong history there—some of his fastest times posted in the last two years—Lyles is clearly eyeing something big. Next weekend, he’ll step onto the track for the 100m, determined to keep the momentum going.

But something feels different this time. Noah has wiped his social media clean—no more posts, no distractions. It’s as if he’s hit the reset button, narrowing his focus on one goal: total dominance. And on Friday in Monaco, he gave a glimpse of that mindset. In his season-opening 200m, Lyles took down the Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo, and extended his Diamond League winning streak to 12. His message afterward was simple, yet telling:
“1. Blessed to be healthy
2. Happy for a win
3. Excited for the next one! Thank you Monaco.”

So what should we expect from Lyles in the days ahead? Fireworks. A man locked in. A sprinter chasing legacy, not likes. The road to Tokyo runs through London, and Noah Lyles is ready to sprint straight through it.