Behind Usain Bolt’s Records, Jamaican Coach Chooses Letsile Tebogo Over Noah Lyles to Shatter Legendary Feat

“I don’t see anybody really break the record. So I think I still have a few more years to go,” said Usain Bolt earlier this year, talking about his unbeatable records. The Jamaican athlete first left jaws on the floor with his 9.58-second 100-meter sprint at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. For the 200m, he set the track ablaze with a 19.30-second run at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, only to turn around and outdo himself with a 19.19-second dash at the 2009 Berlin Worlds.

The closest anyone’s come to unseating Bolt’s 200m record was Yohan Blake with a 19.26 in 2011. But with sky-high confidence, Noah Lyles is boldly claiming he’ll the one to break the unbreakable!

He’s even declared, “I’m running 19.10.” With a 19.31-second 200m under his belt (set at the 2022 world championships in Eugene), he’s got a solid claim to the throne. But, after a bronze medal performance at the Paris Olympics, Bolt’s coach Glen Mills doesn’t seem much convinced. He even threw a bit of shade, suggesting that maybe, just maybe, Lyles might not be the one to shatter the record. It looks like the race for greatness just got a little more complicated!

A recent X post revealed how the coach backed Letsile Tebogo over Noah Lyles to break Bolt’s record. This endorsement comes just weeks after Tebogo clinched the 200m gold medal at the Olympics with a personal best of 19.46 seconds, narrowly edging out Lyles and his teammate Kenny Bednarek.

In Paris, Noah Lyles snagged the bronze in the 200m with a time of 19.70 seconds, even though he triumphed in the 100m. It later emerged that he was battling COVID during the race, which impacted his performance. On the flip side, the Motswana sprinter, who saw Lyles trailing during the curve, knew he had secured the gold. This just highlights how formidable Tebogo can be when he’s at his peak. Both athletes have shown impressive form across various competitions this year, making the race for records and medals more thrilling than ever.

Despite that, Tebogo seems to be in two minds about breaking the record. Initially, the sprinting sensation talked about reaching Bolt’s mark in May, saying, “We have a better chance in the 200, I want to believe. Usain Bolt himself said in an interview that the 200-meter record might be the easier of the two, and I concur.” However, just a month later, he took himself out of the conversation completely—almost dismissive of Lyles in the process—“Take me out of that world record conversation because I don’t want that pressure to put myself in. Let (Noah) Lyles speak about the world record and everyone else who wants to speak about it.”

Noah Lyles’ top performance this year is 19.53 seconds from the Olympic trials, making it the second-fastest time of the year behind Tebogo’s Olympic final mark. Although Tebogo’s time is impressive, it matches Lyles’ second-best mark, while Lyles’ personal best of 19.31 seconds from 2022 remains the second closest to Bolt’s record among current athletes. However, Lyles has struggled to replicate those peak performances recently.

At just 21, Tebogo has youth on his side, whereas Lyles, at 27, must contend with the challenge of maintaining top form. Nonetheless, Lyles has also proven his dominance with an epic “3 Peat” at Budapest last year, claiming gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay at the World Championships. With all this fierce competition, what does Usain Bolt, the man who’s held the record for 15 years, think?

Usain Bolt’s stance on Noah Lyles wanting to break his world records!

Even though Usain Bolt has been retired for seven years, he’s still clinging to both of his world records with pride. He’s said to Olympics.com, “It’s something that I enjoy even if I say it’s not the most important – it’s always the (medals), but it’s a great title to have.”

When asked which record he thinks might fall first, he leaned towards the 200m, explaining, “I really don’t know, I think the 100m’s going to be harder (to break) because it’s quicker, and if you make a mistake during the race, you’re not going to get it. It’s a lot more technical, so I think maybe the 100m’s going to go last.”

With the closest anyone has come to his 9.58-second 100m record being Kishane Thompson’s 9.77 this year, Bolt might be onto something. On the other hand, the 200m record seems more up for grabs. Before the Paris Olympics, Bolt was asked about Noah Lyles’ chances of breaking his record. While he acknowledged Lyles’ potential, he playfully said, “I think if he corrects a few things – I won’t say – he could get better. The possibility is there… I won’t tell you how to break the world record.”

So, Bolt sees the possibility, but isn’t giving away any secrets. With Letsile Tebogo’s impressive performance in Paris, he’s also thrown his hat into the ring. So, what do you think? Will Bolt’s record finally be broken? Will it be Noah Lyles, Letsile Tebogo, or someone completely unexpected? Share in the comments below!