“He has an amazing story.” Well, when an athlete like Noah Lyles speaks like this about his opponent, it does make a statement. Especially after how Lyles was bulldozed by Letsile Tebogo’s speed in the grandest stage of all. Running an astonishing 19.46s in Paris, Tebogo took the gold medal, creating ripples in the track and field fraternity. And while a lot of critics were shocked to find out about Tebogo’s dominance, Usain Bolt already predicted the Botswana athlete’s victory. 

Speaking in an interview with as.com, Usain Bolt foreshadowed that Letsile Tebogo might be the one clinching the 200m gold in Paris. Well, Tebogo did not disappoint. He not only got the gold but also started a huge speculation regarding the world record. Much like his American counterpart Noah Lyles, Tebogo too has been hyped about breaking Usain Bolt’s record. Interestingly, unlike Lyles, Tebogo is not willing to commit the same mistake that Lyles made coming to the Olympics. 

Letsile Tebogo wants his track and field journey to be slow and steady

Letsile Tebogo earned a huge name for himself when he featured on the top 5 fastest sprinters of 2024. Continuing his merry run from Paris, Tebogo once again took the pole position at the Lausanne Diamond League. Clocking 19.64s, Tebogo yet again proved to be the best 200m sprinter at the moment. Igniting the speculation of when he would break the 200m world record, the Botswana athlete chose to remain humble.

Walking down the glorious territory of breaking Usain Bolt’s record, Tebogo stated that he was not rushing with the goal. Tebogo also pointed out that keeping the world record at the back of his mind feels like an added pressure that he does not want to take. Having said that, Tebogo also expressed his desire to be the ‘World’s Fastest Man’ one day. The Olympic gold medalist said, “But I think it will come eventually. I won’t have to push it. I don’t have to push it next year. Perhaps when we are 24 we could attempt something like that. But I don’t think it will take long.”

Now such a humble approach is quite the opposite of what his arch-rival, Noah Lyles, had. Featuring as one of the top fastest athletes in the world, Lyles seemed to have hurried onto the world record-breaking phase too early. Moreover, while Tebogo prefers to stay calm and let his performance do the talking, Lyles is all about electric performance with flashy talks. Remember when he said that he would break Usain Bolt’s record(s)?

Noah Lyles’ failed attempt to break Usain Bolt’s record

Back in March 2024, Noah Lyles made some significant improvements in the 60m dash. Despite losing at the World Athletics Indoor Championships to Christian Coleman, Lyles’ 6.43s were significant in so many ways. Elaborating his future ambitions in an interview with Let’s Run, Noah Lyles calculated that at his current speed, he would clock a 19.10s in the 200m category. This meant that Usain Bolt’s 19.19s record was in great jeopardy. Leading up to Paris, Lyles maintained the narrative while also claiming to break Bolt’s 100m record. 

Now, after the conclusion of the Olympics, none of the records have been broken. Although Lyles clinched the 100m gold medal, his 9.784s time was nowhere close to the world record of 9.58s. Similarly, in the 200m too, Lyles came in third, clocking 19.70s, claiming the bronze. It was later revealed that Lyles was running with COVID-19, which might have affected his performance significantly. 

In reality, keeping aside all the variables, it does look like Noah Lyles did rush for the record, which might have hindered his organic progression on the tracks. Thus, unwilling to make Lyles’ mistake, Letsile Tebogo will be extra cautious. He will wait for the right time and pounce on the opportunity to head home the advantage.