Who could ever get over the stellar 200m finals at the Stade de France? Speed, excitement, and an upset win—we couldn’t have described it any better. Poised as the favorite, many hoped Noah Lyles would finally have the chance to redeem himself from the Tokyo nightmare. However, Letsile Tebogo foiled his plans when he scorched to the finish in 19.46 seconds. Not only did he clinch the first Olympic medal for the nation, but he also shattered an African record.

The Botswanan is comfortably leading the fastest 200m times of this season. Even though Noah Lyles might have missed out on another massive milestone, track and field icon, Michael Johnson has a different perspective. “Men’s 200m has typically always had one dominant leader,” he posted on his Twitter account today. However, he believes this is momentary. The 200m circuit is bound for more changes. “Next few years, it could be more competitive than it’s ever been.” 

As for Lyles? His time of 19.47 seconds might have given him the top spot on the table last year; however, the tables have turned this year. The 27-year-old is hot on Letsile Tebogo’s heels with his time of 19.53 seconds. This was the fastest time of the year up until the U.S. Olympic Trials when he also shattered Michael Johnson’s Olympic trials record of 19.66 set back in 1996. Maybe that was the reason why everyone believed the sprinter had it in the bag leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Lyles jumped into the stadium, excited as ever to clinch another gold. But unfortunately, it just wasn’t his time. With a sluggish start, he trailed behind the Botswanan, and his compatriot, Kenny Bednarek. And just like in Tokyo, Bednarek crossed the finish line with 19.62 seconds, while the Olympic 100m champion clocked in 19.70 seconds. After the race, the Olympic 200m champion had a message for the world: “It means a lot to the African continent because now they see Africa as a sprinting home.” And Tebogo kept the same momentum going at the Diamond League. 

Leading up to the finale in Brussels, Letsile Tebogo reiterated his dominance on the track. “It’s 2 Africans against the rest of the world. It’s me and Joe.” He also emphasized how exciting sprints will get with the new generation. “I believe we’re at an era where there’s a new generation coming up, where now we have to have a little bit of what you look like.” The Botswanan is not shy to assert his dominance, but who else made the fastest 200m time on the 2024 list? 

Letsile Tebogo ends his 2024 season with a bang!

The sprinter might not be wrong about African dominance. While he sits atop the table, Tarsis Gracious Orogot’s personal best of 19.75 from the Percy Beard Track puts him in the 5th position. Interestingly, the Botswanan towers over 7 Americans on the list. After Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek’s 19.57 seconds from the Zurich Diamond League put him in 3rd place. Ironically, the 2x Olympic silver medalist bested Tebogo at the Brussels Diamond with a blistering 19.67 seconds and walked away with the Diamond Trophy. Talk about a twist of fate! But the list doesn’t end there. 

Courtney Lindsey’s personal best of 19.71 seconds from the Kip Keino Classic was good enough for 4th position on the table. Hot on Orogot’s heels is Erriyon Knighton with his time of 19.77 seconds. At this same time last year, the sprinter broke Usain Bolt’s meet record at the 2023 Oslo Diamond League. But this season, he had to settle for 6th place.

With his time of 19.81 seconds at the Zurich Diamond League, Fred Kerley is comfortably seated in the 7th position. Up next is Alexander Ogando. After having placed fifth in the Paris Olympics finals, he redeemed himself by crossing the finish line in 19.86 seconds at the Silesia Diamond League. But even though he had to settle for a second-place finish, he had just set a new Dominican record at the meet!

Up next? Christian Coleman with his time of 19.89 seconds. During the 200m semi-finals at Hayward Field, he trailed behind his compatriot Lyles, who clinched first place. But his second-place finish showed just as much promise. In 10th place, we have two sprinters sharing the spot. Kyree King’s stellar lifetime-best 19.90 seconds at the U.S. Olympic 200m finals were worthy of a spot. However, Ryan Zeze won the La Chaux-de-Fonds 200m event with a personal best of 19.90 seconds too. But, as Michael Johnson said, we might notice a slight shift in balance in the coming years. Are you excited?