It is official, folks. Noah Lyles has been caught slacking! Lyles’ fall off the charts might be one of the most surprising twists. When the 2023 season ended, it ended on a high. Lyles was the undisputed king of 2023 in 200m with 1,483 points. Meanwhile, his Botswanian arch-enemy, Letsile Tebogo, was far behind him in third place with 1,438 points. And to make it even sweeter for Lyles, he had been on top of the charts for two years in a row! That’s right, Noah topped the charts in 2022 as well with 1466 points.

So, was the 2024 season simply bad? No, not at all. In fact, the season started bright, with both Lyles and Tebogo winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But the ranking, however, has a different tale to tell! It was all well and good for Noah Lyles until the 2024 charts were out! On the 200m charts, Tebogo has pushed Lyles down to take the #1 rank with 1,511 points. Meanwhile, Lyles is not even in the top three on this chart. He has fallen to fifth rank with 1,397. Despite both having Olympic medals, how did this happen?

It all boils down to the tricky intricacies of the World Athletics scoring system. Now, this system does not take into account just results prima facie. But it combines a number of factors, including their finishing times and placements, and of course, the level of competition. Major events like the Olympics receive more placing points, which makes every race a crucial one. Despite making his mark as one of the fastest men with an iconic gold in 100m, the odds of the season were against Noah Lyles.

So, what exactly happened to Lyles? There is a major difference between 2023 and 2024 for Lyles. In 2023, Lyles consistently ran sub-19.80 times, including his fastest time of 19.47 seconds in London. However, in 2024, the performance fell. His fastest time came at the U.S. Olympic Trials with 19.53 seconds. A very strong timing, but one that doesn’t match up to Lyles’ old self.

2023 came with another advantage for Noah Lyles. Events like the World Championships gave him an opportunity to stack up placement scores. Above all, the most apparent difference has to be in the numbers themselves. His Olympic semi-final time of 20.08 seconds, for instance, got him a low score of 1208. A number that is far below the 2023 average. Meanwhile, Letsile Tebogo was on a mission to be the best. And no doubt, mission accomplished!

On August 8th, 2024, for the first time in history, Botswana won an Olympic gold. And the man who brought it home was none other than Letsile Tebogo. He did it, clocking 19.46. The moment was so iconic that his homeland decided to declare it a public holiday! Despite the win, Tebogo was not done sprinting for the season. He went on to win second place at the Diamond League finals. Both Lyles and Tebogo’s seasons seem full of wins, so how did Tebogo leap in the ranks?

Letsile Tebogo’s 200m ranking journey is a testimony of pure determination. Tebogo’s 2024 season saw faster times across the board compared to 2023. His 2023 best was 19.50 seconds, a best he redefined in Paris. Additionally, this season, Tebogo has run sub-19.83 seconds in all his major races. This is a stark contrast to 2023, where he had races slower than 20 seconds, such as his 20.01 seconds at the Athletissima Lausanne. This increased speed not only got him higher ranking scores but put him right on top of the charts! While things are looking up for Letsile Tebogo, it gets worse for Noah Lyles!

Treading the unpredictable waters of track and field!

Noah has fallen off the overrankings, too! In 2023, Lyles was ranked third overall with 1,548 points. Meanwhile, Letsile Tebogo was far behind him in tenth place with 1,485 points. Come the 2024 season ends, the tables have turned. Noah Lyles has dropped to eighth rank with 1,503 points, while Letsile Tebogo leveled up! He is currently ranked fourth with 1,519 points. And just like that, Tebogo has made his way to the top again on another chart! If there is one thing these rankings tell us, it is that it has been a volatile season.

Lyles began the season in Empire City, aka New York, clocking 19.77 in 200m despite a wind of 1.6 m/s working against him. He then followed it up with a personal best of 9.81 in the 100m at the London Diamond League. Lyles’ moment, however, came at the Paris Olympics, where he won gold, overtaking Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson by just 0.005 seconds. But then came the disappointing 200m for Noah, where he ended up winning the bronze. His season took a hit right there.

Meanwhile, Tebogo, despite an Olympic gold, was not done sprinting for the season. He went on to win second place at the Diamond League finals, giving him higher points. When you dig into the numbers, it becomes clear that despite the 100m win, Noah Lyles tapered off. Meanwhile, what gave Tebogo the advantage was his consistency. And that, too, consistently performing his best. The differences between their seasons tell the story of the unpredictability that follows track and field.

One season, you’re on top of the world. The next? You might just find yourself chasing down the competition. While Noah Lyles still wears the 100m crown, the 200m and overall ranks have slipped right through his fingers. Letsile Tebogo’s rise, on the other hand, is proof that every race, every meet, and every split second counts. As the season wraps up, all eyes are on 2025. The world eagerly awaits to see if Lyles will come back to claim his throne. Or will Tebogo become unbeatable?