“I’ve always been a reserved person, so athletics won’t change the person who I am,” said Botswana’s first Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo. Maybe that’s why the 21-year-old didn’t make a fuss when many in the track and field world overlooked his potential going into the 200-meter race in Paris. It’s also why Tebogo has been the man of few words amidst the drama surrounding Netflix’s Sprint Part 2.

In stark contrast to rival Noah Lyles’ outspoken nature, Tebogo doesn’t believe in making tall claims ahead of crucial races. Instead of living up to expectations created through words, the fastest African across 200 meters believes in proving his worth on the racetrack. “Athletes are all different, there’s the loud ones, there’s also the quiet ones,” said the Olympic gold medalist.

Hence, Letsile Tebogo believes in training in silence and lets his preface set the benchmark on the track. “I prefer being silent and just letting the legs do the talking,” said the two-time U20 World Champion. Tebogo’s philosophy was on full display at the 200-meter race in Paris. “I say that the 200 is the easier of the two,” 100-meter champion Noah Lyles has confidently announced ahead of the race.

However, when the time came, it was the 21-year-old from Botswana who crossed the finish line ahead of the defending world champion. “I believe silence is the way,” Tebogo revealed during his interview with Olympics.com. Another reason behind Tebogo’s measured approach toward competition is that he believes “everybody is watching what you are doing.”

However, just because the 300-meter world record holder is silent before a race doesn’t mean he never speaks up. “When I come off the turn they will be depressed,” proclaimed Noah Lyles before the 200 meters in Paris, thanks to a confidence boost from his 100-meter performance. However, he finished third after contracting COVID-19. After the race, Letsile Tebogo spoke up.

“I can’t be the face of athletics because I’m not an arrogant or loud person like Noah. So I believe Noah’s the face of athletics,” the track and field star said during the post-race press conference. And maybe that’s why Tebogo had some hard-hitting, albeit few, words for Netflix’s Sprint Part 2.

Letsile Tebogo’s five-word rebuttal of Netflix’s tracks and field docuseries

Sprint Part 2 dropped on November 13. After the first season, the track and field world felt excited to get an exclusive look at their favorite athletes. However, amidst the overall praise, track and field enthusiasts could not help but notice how Sprint Part 2 glossed over the stories of African athletes in season 2. Almost everyone pointed out the lack of focus on Tebogo.

While Sprint focused on the rivalry between America and Jamaica, fans felt outraged at the glaring lack of screen time the Botswanan athlete got. Tebogo earned the 200-meter gold in Paris and defeated the likes of Fred Kerley, Marcell Jacobs, Ferdinand Omanyala, and Christian Coleman in the 100-meter race at the Rome Diamond League after the Olympics.

Despite these feats, the champion sprinter didn’t feature in the four-part season until 22 minutes into the final episode. So once again, Tebogo broke his silence. “This is an American show,” the sprinter wrote on X. However, while Netflix didn’t highlight African athletes at the Olympics, Tebogo has faith that the future is bright for his continent.

Mentioning the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympics, Letsile Tebogo spoke about Africa’s potential. “It shows that Africa has got great potential to host big events,” the Olympic gold medalist told Olympics.com. While Tebogo isn’t pleased with Sprint Part 2, he once again aims to prove why he and African track and field athletes deserve everyone’s attention.