The time to crown the track and field king for the year is finally here. With a whirlwind of actions taking place this year, there have been some extraordinary affairs taking place. And the one event that surely tops the charts is the Paris Olympics. With the Tokyo Olympics back in 2020 shrouded in the COVID shadow, the wait for Paris was all the more special. As the spectators flocked in thousands, the top names in the track and field realm landed in the French capital to make an everlasting impact. 

All eyes were on the men’s events, as there were a lot of big names to choose from this year. While Noah Lyles, Kishane Thompson, Letsile Tebogo, and Oblique Seville were the top draws. Names like Akani Simbine, Grant Holloway, Jakob Ingebrigsten, and more too, had some incredible performances to enthrall the crowd. And now, when the time has come to crown who is the best of the best, fans have made an interesting call. But first, let us take a look at who the nominees are. 

In a recent X post, the Track and Field Gazette published the names of the nominees for the Athlete of the Year. The post read, “The nominees for World Athletics Male Track Athlete of the Year are: Letsile Tebogo Jakob Ingebrigtsen Noah Lyles Rai Benjamin Grant Holloway Emmanuel Wanyonyi”. Now, a glance at the list, and the most obvious choice for the award should have been Noah Lyles. After all, he is the men’s 100m Olympic gold medal winner. 

The Paris 100m men’s edition saw one of the fastest races in Olympic history. And as the action came to an end, there could be no definitive winner. Kishane Thompson and Noah Lyles both were tied at 9.79s. Luckily for the American, he appeared to edge out the Jamaican by five thousandths of a second, providing him with his much-deserved gold medal. And if that was not enough, Lyles huffed and puffed his way to the 200m bronze medal despite suffering from COVID-19. Such dedication and hype make the choice pretty straightforward.

But surprisingly, the fans seemed to have chosen Letsile Tebogo as their favorite track and field athlete. And there are reasons for the same. Tebogo had a rocky start to the season and suffered a huge setback in May 2024. Just before the Paris Olympics, Tebogo lost his mother, which crushed him mentally. Recalling his struggles, Tebogo stated, “It was super-difficult. But my coach and team encouraged me to take things one day at a time.” And Tebogo toiled and toiled hard. With increased zeal and determination, the 21-year-old came to Paris to make a statement. And he did not disappoint. 

The Botswana man not only won the 200m title but also clinched silver in the 4x400m relay. Running in the 100m, Tebogo also clocked the fastest time of 9.86s in his career, although he placed 6th. Following his success in Paris, Tebogo did not choose to rest but instead competed in almost all the Diamond Leagues, picking up victories in quite a few of them. 

Competing in the Lausanne Diamond League, Tebogo clocked 19.64s to win the gold medal. Next up in Rome, Tebogo won the 100m gold, running a dash of 9.87s. Lastly, coming to Silesia, Tebogo continued his merry run, taking the 200m gold while establishing a meet record of 19.83s. Thus, when the fans snubbed Noah Lyles, it was not exactly a shocker. 

Letsile Tebogo’s resilient journey after losing his mother makes him a fan favorite for top honor

Flocking to the comment section, fans made their choices clear about who they want as their Male Track Athlete of the Year. Expressing admiration for Tebogo’s remarkable performance at the Paris Olympics despite all the setbacks and barriers he had to overcome, one fan rallied for him and commented, “Letsile Tebogo deserves this one…he fought against all odds…👏👏👏”. It was his hardships and the way he battled his way to the podium that resonated with fans. Moreover, mentally too, he was drained out before the Paris Olympics after losing his mother just months before the Olympics.

Tebogo’s mother, Seratiwa, passed away in May 2024, and in like two months, Tebogo had to step on the tracks for the final event of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Such a tragic loss deeply affected him. But, despite the emotional turmoil, Tebogo honored her memory by inscribing her initials on his shoes during the Olympics, using her spirit as motivation to persevere and win.

Acknowledging Tebogo’s remarkable journey and determination despite the loss of his mother, another X user wrote, “Letsile Tebogo is much deserving and he will win the Male Track Athlete of the Year 🇧🇼.” Echoing the same emotion, another fan commented, “Tebogo for sure he had a great year!!”

Tebogo won the 200m gold, achieved a personal best in the 100m with 9.86s, secured a silver in the 4x400m relay, and still continued the thread of success with Diamond League wins after returning from Paris. His continued success on the track has indeed solidified his status as a deserving candidate for the Male Track Athlete of the Year, making the fans’ support understandable.

“Letsile Tebogo all the way💪.” mentioned another commenter voicing support for Letsile. Fans have been choosing Tebogo over other athletes, and that list also includes the name of Noah Lyles. With the hype that was surrounding the American track star before the Olympics, he was the clear favorite of several track enthusiasts. Winning the gold in the 100m and bronze in the 200m, Lyles too held his ground strong. However, the path that Tebogo had to follow was way different than Lyles, and that affected the wave of support.

Despite lacking access to advanced facilities or top-tier coaching, Tebogo showcased immense natural talent and determination. His resilience was evident after overcoming personal tragedy, including the loss of his mother, just before the Paris Olympics. Highlighting the same, netizens stated, “Letsile Tebogo. The boy from a village in Kanye, Botswana. Pure talent. No fancy equipment or so-called world class coaches.” It was just the impeccable physical prowess and unbeatable talent that led the 21-year-old to the zenith.

Thus, with Noah Lyles getting the fans’ ignorance, it will be interesting to see how exactly the American plans to win the hearts back in the near future.