Letsile Tebogo became an overnight sensation at the Paris Olympics, capturing the gold medal in a category many assumed would belong to Noah Lyles. With this stunning upset, Tebogo cemented his place in the history books. However, his journey to victory was far from smooth. The Motswana runner was grappling with the weight of a personal tragedy that struck just before the Olympics. Despite his grief, Tebogo displayed remarkable resilience, focusing on the challenge before him and rising to the occasion when it mattered most.

During the fourth episode of the second season of the Netflix docuseries Sprint, Letsile Tebogo revealed what was going on in his mind at the buildup of the 200-meter final. Sitting in Paris, in anticipation of the upcoming race, the Motswana runner was thinking about his mother. She had always backed him throughout his track and field career and had been his number-one fan. Unfortunately, she passed away in May, just before the Olympics. He was still recovering from this incident in France.

“Going into that final, I think of my mom. The feeling of missing her, because there are a lot of hurdles, ups, and downs of being an athlete that we went through. Together,” he told the makers of the show. Then he showed the camera his fingernails, which he had EST written on them.

This was his mother’s initials and stood for Elizabeth Seratiwa Tebogo. Thus, he was pretty emotional before his race. However, he didn’t ignore the challenge in front of him at the finals. Letsile Tebogo was aware that his chances of winning weren’t that strong. “I’m not the favorite. The king of 200 meters is Noah Lyles,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Letsile Tebogo emerged victorious in the 200-meter race, clinching the gold medal with a remarkable time of 19.46 seconds. Noah Lyles, the pre-race favorite, finished in third place, adding to the shock of the event. Tebogo’s triumph draws parallels to boxer Buster Douglas’ legendary upset in 1990, when he defeated a prime Mike Tyson to become the world champion despite overwhelming odds. Tebogo’s resilience and determination have etched his name in the annals of sports history, a testament to triumph against adversity.

According to the legend, Douglas had promised his dying mother that he would become the champion. Thus, during the fight, he only fulfilled his promise. Similarly, Letsile also defeated Noah Lyles at a time when everyone considered him the favorite to win. But fate works in different ways. Letsile is now one of the best runners in the world with an Olympic medal. Furthermore, now that he has gotten his gold medal, Letsile hasn’t shied away from taking shots at his rival, either.

Letsile Tebogo took a dig at Noah Lyles’ attitude in a recent interview

In an interview with Olympics.com, Letsile Tebogo seemed to aim a diss at Noah Lyles after defeating him in the 200-meter final. The Motswana athlete was asked whether he would become more communicative like his competitors as he became more and more successful. However, Letsile rejected this idea, saying that this was not his style. “Athletes are all different; there’s the loud ones; there’s also the quiet ones,” he told Olympics.com. “So I believe silence is the way,” he added.

This was an obvious dig at Noah, who has been deemed talkative by many individuals before. Noah Lyles has always aimed to bring showmanship to track and field, captivating spectators with his charisma both on and off the track. While his confidence might be perceived as arrogance or overly talkative by some competitors, his record of decorated performances speaks for itself. However, with Letsile Tebogo now rising as a formidable contender, Lyles may face stiffer competition than ever before. Tebogo’s determined presence signals that he is here to challenge the status quo. Watching this budding rivalry unfold in the upcoming season promises to be a thrilling spectacle for track and field fans.