Netflix debuted Part 2 of their much-anticipated docuseries Sprint on November 13. Eager fans binged the four-episode affair, and Sprint became the center of every conversation on the internet. Yet despite positive reviews on internet forums such as Reddit, the track and field community, including Olympic gold medalists such as Letsile Tebogo, raised a common issue.

However, this is nothing new. Decider praised Part 1, writing it was a “great warm-up primer for the Olympics,” in July. Yet, they mentioned how the American track star Noah Lyles became a central part of the narrative from the very first episode. However, the focus on American track stars has intensified so much in Part 2 that many have raised their voice on social media.

The track and field unanimously announce their disapproval

As people progressed through the season, many noticed that the focus had shifted majorly toward Olympic champions such as Noah Lyles, Gabby Thomas, and other American athletes. While the other Olympic gold medalists, such as Julien Alfred, featured in the show, their screen time didn’t compare to the team’s medalists. “This is an American show,” 200m Olympic gold medalist Letsile Tebogo posted on X.

Many felt outraged that despite defeating Noah Lyles in his marquee race, the 200m, Tebogo barely got any screen time. Sprint introduced Tobogo’s storyline after the 22-minute mark of the final episode of the four-episode season. However, the current fastest African was far from the only one who raised their voice.

South African 4×100 m silver medalist Akani Simbine claimed that Netflix had overlooked the journey of African Olympians. “Another season and yet again Sprint looks over the African story,” Simbine posted. Since track-and-field documentaries from massive production houses like Netflix are rare, they lamented the missed opportunity.

Track and field enthusiast OwenM on X aggregated the responses of other athletes in his thread on Sprint Part 2. The post revealed that Sprint also dropped American athletes such as McKenzie Long completely. “I was another who they had followed all post-collegiate… and was informed I wasn’t making the cuts in this season.” Long commented on OwenM’s post.

Netflix documented Long’s journey of winning the 2024 NCAA 100m title and seventh-place finish at the 200m in Paris. So Long felt surprised and disheartened when Netflix gave her the call. “It’s sad we put ourselves outside our comfort zone for this series, yet our stories can’t be told,” the 24-year-old added. However, there was one athlete who faced a similar fate.

The continued exclusion of another African veteran

Netflix’s decision to feature Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the season 2’s second episode confused some fans. While Fraser-Pryce featured significantly in Part 1, the Jamaican sprinting legend bowed out of the Olympics due to an injury. Maybe that’s why reporter Lillz TIL once again highlighted the story of another African track and field icon, Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith.

The reporter interviewed Ta Lou-Smith after Part and asked her opinion of Netflix skipping her story. “I feel disrespected by Netflix,” the 35-year-old said in September. The three-time African champion urged Netflix to not just focus on the sprinters who won medals at the Olympics. While Netflix took a step in the right direction by including Fraser-Pryce, they once again didn’t feature Ta Lou-Smith’s heroic effort in the face of injury.

While Fraser-Pryce pulled out due to an injury, Ta Lou-Smith limped to the finish line despite sustaining a hamstring injury during the finals. The exclusion of such iconic moments from the Olympics prompted OwenM to make follow-up posts. “Letsile Tebogo, Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith, and Mckenzie Long all deserve an apology from Netflix,” wrote the tracks and field reporter.

However, Letsile Tebogo added to the post, saying the Sprint creators needed to apologize to an entire continent. “All the African athletes,” wrote the double Olympic medalist while sharing the post. While many casual fans have praised Part 2, dedicated fans and athletes couldn’t overlook Netflix’s oversight. Yet, what’s your verdict on the Netflix show? Write your views in the comments.