Noah Lyles’ Risky Gamble at Paris Olympics Acted as Catalyst for Letsile Tebogo’s Historic Win

It was meant to be the Noah Lyles show at the Paris Olympics. After all, he claimed, he was “Coming For All” the medals. Most thought he’d pull off the double in the 200m—he was the world leader and reigning champ, after all. But when the race kicked off, it wasn’t Lyles taking the spotlight; it was Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who snatched the gold right out from under him. Tebogo blazed through the finish line in 19.46 seconds, leaving Kenny Bednarek with the silver at 19.62, and Lyles, battling COVID-19, had to settle for bronze with a 19.70 finish. Lyles was partly to blame for this. He decided to run slower in the semis to preserve his body for the finals. It didn’t pay off at all as he couldn’t win the semis or the finals.

The stakes were high for Tebogo—Noah Lyles had just edged out a 100-meter gold with a 9.79 in a photo finish, while Tebogo landed a distant sixth. But on race day, as Tebogo stood on that iconic purple track, there was a moment when he knew—this gold was his for the taking. And just like that, he managed to derail Lyles’ plans not once, but twice! Recently, Tebogo spilled the beans on the exact moment he realized he had the race in the bag!

In an interview on X with Thomas Mlambo, Letsile Tebogo opened up about his electrifying 200-meter race and the exact moment he knew he was about to become the Olympic champion. He shared how things were clicking for him right from the start. “Firstly, in the heat, I was on lane 3 and I had to make sure I go to the semis with a fresh body. So when I saw that people are not running those fast times, I knew there was a chance for the medal,” he explained. And when he managed to beat Lyles in the semis, his optimism skyrocketed.

“For me, on the semis when I was with Noah, it boosted my confidence because we all know what Noah is capable of doing,” he said. But it was the final 50 meters of the race that sealed the deal. That’s when Tebogo knew the gold was his. “I knew after the last 50 meters of the race that I have won the gold medal because normally on the curve, I have to see Noah out first because I don’t have that perfect curve. And then I just saw it was only me and Kenny going beating up front so I had to just keep up with the form. So, in the last 50, when I passed Kenny, was when I knew I won the race,”  Tebogo recounted.

This victory not only secured him the gold but also made him the first-ever African to win the Olympic 200m. What a way to make history! And since that momentous win, Tebogo hasn’t been shy about throwing some shade at Lyles. During the post-race press conference, when asked if he wanted to be the face of track and field, Tebogo didn’t mince words. “For me, I can’t be the face of athletics because I’m not an arrogant or loud person like Noah,” he said, adding, “So I believe Noah’s the face of athletics.”

Despite his words, there was still a show of sportsmanship, with Noah Lyles giving Tebogo a hug after the race, even though his own dreams were dashed. Back home, Tebogo was greeted with a hero’s welcome—something that might have left Lyles feeling a bit envious!

Botswana welcomes Letsile Tebogo as a hero, leading Noah Lyles to question the US’s reception!

Letsile Tebogo was the nation’s hero. He was welcomed with a huge reception in his country, as they filled up stadiums just to catch a glimpse of him. The president of the country declared a half-day holiday in order to celebrate his success in larger numbers. It started at the airport itself, as the whole Botswana team was greeted by traditional dancers, with the president accompanying them. Given that Botswana won just two Olympic medals in Paris, both thanks to Tebogo, it’s no surprise the nation treated him like a king. Meanwhile, Noah Lyles couldn’t help but feel a bit miffed about the difference in receptions.

On the Nightcap podcast with Shannon Sharpe, he voiced his frustration. “When I showed back home on my flight, of course some people recognized me and I’m very thankful for that, but there was no 30,000 people, there was no Melo driver ready to take me home, there was no bus waiting,” he said.

He added, “I had my mum, paps (dad) and they were ready to take me home and I was ready to go to bed. We have a different way in America of seeing our sports, the problem that I had was you are giving the title of world champions to people who were not facing the world,” referring to the NBA champions. It’s clear this discrepancy got under his skin.

But, let’s be real—the USA’s smaller reception makes sense given they bagged 126 medals compared to Botswana’s 2. It would be a logistical nightmare to roll out a grand celebration for every single medalist. Reflecting on Noah Lyles’ comments and Letsile Tebogo’s strategy that led to his 200-meter gold, what do you think? Did Tebogo’s approach to the race make all the difference? Share your thoughts in the comments below!