Imagine doing your best but still feeling like you didn’t get the deserved respect. That’s exactly how Letsile Tebogo’s went – on November 13, he was super excited to watch Sprint Season 2 on Netflix. But as he watched, it was soon replaced by disappointment. Tebogo made a statement on X, calling the venture “an American show.” Wondering why he said that? It’s the screen time.

The 21-year-old felt the series was made for an American audience, focusing heavily on stars like Gabby Thomas and Noah Lyles, while barely giving him or other non-American athletes a moment to shine. Even though Letsile Tebogo outpaced Noah Lyles in the 200m at the Paris Olympics, won the ANOC Award, and is a finalist for the World Athletics Awards’ Best Athlete, he still didn’t get the recognition he deserved in Netflix’s Sprint documentary. Tebogo doesn’t even make an appearance in Season 1, and in Season 2, he’s only introduced after 22 minutes, with very little focus on him.

Instead, he’s largely relegated to a supporting role, overshadowed by the American sprinters, especially Lyles. So, why this lack of attention? Well, the series was filmed before and leading up to the Olympics, so they didn’t know Tebogo would make history with his gold in Paris. While Noah Lyles, already a top star in 2023, naturally took center stage, Tebogo was just starting his season as a world silver medalist in the 100m and a bronze medalist in the 200m. Despite his incredible rise, the young sprinter believes the reason he was left out boils down to one thing: “personality.”

Before the Paris Olympics, Lyles made big promises—breaking Usain Bolt’s 100m record of 9.58 seconds and winning four gold medals. But things didn’t go as planned – he walked away with just one gold, in the 100m. Meanwhile, Letsile Tebogo quietly went on to make history, clinching the 200m Olympic gold in 19.46 seconds, letting his performance do all the talking.

Tebogo opened up about his limited screen time in Netflix’s Sprint documentary during an interview with Olympics.com. Hinting that personality might be the reason, Letsile said, “Athletes are all different. There’s the loud ones, and there’s the quiet ones. I prefer being silent and just let the legs do the talking. I’ve always been a reserved person, so athletics won’t change the person who I am.” While he didn’t call out Lyles directly, the comparison feels obvious.

Lyles grabs attention with his big statements, while Tebogo has been focusing on proving himself on the track. It’s a quiet confidence that speaks volumes—and maybe even throws a little shade. But this was not the first time Tebogo has mentioned Lyles being “loud“; remember back when, during the Olympics, Tebogo didn’t hold back his words?

Letsile Tebogo’s gold medal that went unnoticed

On August 9, Letsile Tebogo achieved victory as the Olympic 200-meter champion but at the same time, he made headlines with his candid remarks about Noah Lyles following an unexpected and thrilling race where he outpaced Lyles for the gold medal prize. When questioned about his potential to emerge as the face of track and field, after his win over Lyles, in the competition, Tebogo responded in a manner highlighting their personality contrasts.

“For me, I can’t be the face of athletics because I’m not an arrogant or loud person like Noah,” Tebogo said, adding, “So I believe Noah’s the face of athletics.” That comment even got a smile from Kenny Bednarek, who finished with silver in the same race, ahead of Lyles. Before the final, Lyles had confidently predicted victory, declaring, “When I come off the turn, they will be depressed,” and amping up the crowd with his usual high-energy antics. But when the race was over, Tebogo had taken gold with a stunning 19.46 seconds, followed by Bednarek at 19.62, while Lyles settled for bronze with 19.70.

Lyles had a reason for his performance, though – he had contracted COVID-19 just days before the race. “I woke up early, about 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, feeling really horrible. I knew it was more than being sore from the 100,” Lyles said in an interview with NBC. However, despite Lyles’ personal struggles, it’s clear that Letsile Tebogo’s performance at the Paris Olympics deserved more than just a passing glance.

Did Netflix fail to give Tebogo his due credit? What do you think? Share in the comments below.