2024 saw the culmination of one of the most epic track and field battles in the Olympics. While the 100m finals saw one of the fastest races in history, the other events too were equally breathtaking. However, it has been quite a while since the Olympic fire was lit in the French capital. With most of the renowned athletes taking it easy, the time has come for them to tighten their shoelaces again as an epic clash awaits. 

In a recent announcement, the qualification system for the World Athletics Relays 2025 has been released. With the main event scheduled for May, Guangzhou, Tokyo will be the first instance China will be playing host. The seventh edition of the high-profile tournament will see top athletes battle for supremacy in 5 categories. These are mixed 4x400m relays and the men’s and women’s 4x400m and 4x100m races. 

Looking at the qualification criteria, a total of 32 teams will qualify for the finals. Among them, the countries that finished in the Top 16 at the Olympics will be awarded automatic qualification status. This means that the USA and Botswana, too, will clash against each other after the incredible Olympic rivalry. 

Back in Paris, Vernon Norwood and Co. edged Letsile Tebogo’s team by a whisker. Clocking 2:54.53s, Botswana lost the gold with Team USA hitting a time of 2:54.43s. However, this time, the face-off will hold a much more important matchup. It will be the clash of the titans in Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo. The two of the fastest male track athletes alive at the moment.

Time traveling a few months back, both Tebogo and Lyles had their individual moments of glory in Paris. In the 100m, it was Noah Lyles who got the better of the competition, while in the 200m, Tebogo obliterated the competition. Unfortunately, Lyles had a COVID-19 infection that forced him out of the rest of the games.

But their rivalry started well before the Paris Olympics. On one hand, Tebogo was constantly improving his timing, while Lyles was struggling with it. Thus, a lot of critics gave Tebogo the upper hand. In fact, the recently announced track and field awards too supported the narrative.

Noah Lyles looks to make his mark as Letsile Tebogo takes prestigious accolade

The ANOC Male Track and Field Athlete of the Year was announced a few days ago. And Letsile Tebogo was the proud winner, surprising a lot of fans. While most thought Noah Lyles to be the deserved winner, it was Tebogo’s consistency that gave him the edge. Despite the Olympic games ending, Tebogo decided not to stop running. He immediately jumped into the subsequent Diamond Leagues and took several more medals to glorify his collection.

Adding to the Lyles vs. Tebogo rivalry further, Rodney Green stated that the Botswana sprinter was more versatile. Speaking on the ‘Ready Set Go’ podcast, Green opined that Tebogo’s ability to adapt to different situations caught Lyles off guard in Paris. Another US track legend, Justin Gatlin, nodded in unison, saying, “Too much speed endurance.” Gatlin further analyzed Tebogo’s performance, saying, 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.”

Thus, off late, things seem to be tilted in favor of the Botswana athlete. However, Noah Lyles is also not a name to be taken lightly. With the 100m and 200m Olympic gold medalists clashing in May 2025, Asia will be the pit to watch out for all the track and field lovers worldwide.