In the men’s 100m final at Stade de France, he may not have been the favorite to take home the gold. After all, he had to face Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, who came with the world lead in 2024 with 9.77 seconds. Additionally, in Tokyo, Noah Lyles wasn’t in the race when Marcell Jacobs snagged the gold, and Fred Kerley claimed silver. In Paris, both were ready to present challenges.

However, Lyles overcame all obstacles and secured the gold medal. Unfortunately, in the men’s 200m final, he could not replicate that success. Instead, Letsile Tebogo, the 21-year-old Botswana athlete, stood atop the podium while Lyles took home the bronze medal. Notably, after the final, Noah’s support staff revealed that the athlete had been suffering from COVID-19 while competing in the 200m final. However, according to Rodney Green and Justin Gatlin, the reasons behind his performance issues run deeper than that.

In an episode of Ready Set Go, Rodney Green claimed that Tebogo’s versatility had been too much for Noah Lyles in the final. Meanwhile, Gatlin quipped, “Too much speed endurance,” being the major difference between Lyles and Tebogo. Gatlin tried to explain that Letsile Tebogo had consistently maintained his performance to a particular level in the 200m before the Paris Olympics. The four-time world champion’s logic may not disappear into thin air. 

Before moving to the Paris Olympics, Letsile entered several 200m events in the season. Surprisingly, in all those, he hit the sub-19 mark. But Noah walked on a completely distinct line.

Before moving to the US Olympic track and field trials, he competed in a single 200m event, in the USATF New York City Grand Prix. Nonetheless, he topped the list in the event, finishing the race in 19.77 seconds. But the practice probably was not enough to counter Tebogo in the Paris Olympics. Rodney Green agreed to the fact. He eventually laid out, “Yeah, that last 50 meters, how that boy closed. He’s ran on a consistent level under 19.4, 19.5.” Not only that, look at his performance in the 4x400m relay.

Tebogo ran a stunning 43.03s split, which is the second-fastest in history. Notably, Tebogo’s hunger for success does not seem to have reduced even after the Olympics. He came back in the Diamond League final in Brussels. Although he had to face defeat to Kenny Bednarek, he became the first male winner of the Jesse Owens Rising Star Award there. No wonder that Gatlin had lauded Tebogo on a previous occasion as well.

 “He [Letsile Tebogo] has a reservoir of talent and the fact is his issue is going to be which one is he going to pick, which one is he going to focus on cuz [because] he’s that true hybrid athlete that he can do a little bit of everything and he could do it very well,” Gatlin had said last month. Who won’t agree with that? After all, Tebogo had begun his 2024 season in March by smashing the 300m world record clocking 44.29s. Alongside, Tebogo also spared a word for their rivalry.

Calling it “epic,” he had stated, “Sky’s the limit for Noah [Lyles]. He still has that it factor and he brings to the table and he’s athletically inclined to be able to walk it and talk it right and and why I say that because we’re seeing the fact of someone who’s comparably remarkable in talent as Tebogo is with Noah. We’re seeing something really special happening right now and I’m not shading anybody else in this in their events but the fact is look at Tebogo.” Indeed, Noah will be back to regain his crown in the 200m. Remember what Noah’s mom, Kesha Caine Bishop, had said?

Keisha humorously referred to the men’s 100m event as her son’s ‘side chick,’ while she considers the 200m event to be his ‘wife’! This distinction stems from Noah’s undisputed dominance in the 200m over the past several years. He currently ranks third on the all-time list for the best performances in the men’s 200m event, with his personal best of 19.31 seconds serving as a significant milestone for young American athletes. But what might have motivated Tebogo against Noah in the Olympics? Rodney Green has an interesting take on that.

Noah Lyles’s words may have helped his opponent win the battle 

In the discussion with Justin Gatlin, Rodney Green revealed another reason that had worked against Noah Lyles on August 8 at Stade de France. Before coming to the 200m final, Noah had already won the 100m event, defeating Kishane Thompson and Fred Kerley. The victory finally may have made him desperate enough to claim big on his upcoming event. The reflection of it was visible in the post-match interaction. 

After the 100m final at the Paris Olympics, Noah joined Thompson and Kerley in the post-match press conference. In the middle of the press conference, he was asked about his chance in the upcoming 200m event final. Maintaining his demeanor, Lyles replied, “I’ll be winning.” His statement resulted in a cheeky smile on Kerley’s face. Yet, Noah didn’t stop.

He further added, “When I come off the turn, they will be depressed”. According to Green, these lines may have motivated him to go outbound against Noah on the penultimate day. We can not deny that. Because, even Tebogo had called out Noah after the Olympic 200m race. Tebogo was speaking at a post-race press conference when he was asked whether he aspired to become the face of track and field athletics.

He suggested that his more laid-back demeanor means he wouldn’t be able to reach Lyles’ levels of fame. “For me, I can’t be the face of athletics because I’m not an arrogant or loud person like Noah. So I believe Noah’s the face of athletics,” Tebogo had said. The comment even drew a wry smile from the 200m silver medalist Kenny Bednarek. Indeed, more is left to come in the battle of these two icons.