Letsile Tebogo: 200m Olympic Champion Aims Subtle Dig at Noah Lyles

• Letsile Tebogo aimed a subtle dig at Noah Lyles after storming his way to clinch gold in the men's 200m race
• The Botswanan claimed he is not as 'arrogant' as Lyles and, hence, cannot be the face of athletics despite his stunning victory
• Just before Thursday night's electric race, the American sprinter, who had won the 100m event, looked pumped up for action

Letsile Tebogo made history by becoming the first Botswanan— and the first African — to claim gold in the 200-metre event at the Olympic Games.

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The 21-year-old sprint sensation stormed to victory at the Stade de France, clocking an African record of 19.46 seconds.

Letsile Tebogo stuns Noah Lyes to win 200m gold

According to the BBC, his remarkable achievement not only marked a personal triumph for Tebogo but also denied the pre-race favourite, Noah Lyles, the chance to secure a sprint double.

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Lyles, who had electrified the stadium with his dramatic win in the 100m final just days earlier, could not match the blistering pace set by Letsile.

Instead, he settled for a bronze finish with a time of 19.70 seconds, coming in behind his compatriot Kenneth Bednarek, who secured silver with a 19.62-second performance.

Adding to the drama, Lyles revealed post-race that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and had to be assisted off the track in a wheelchair.

While Lyles’ health scare briefly stole some of the spotlights, Tebogo’s moment remained the centrepiece of the event.

In an emotional tribute, Tebogo dedicated his historic victory to his late mother, Elizabeth Seratiwa, who passed away in May.

After crossing the finish line, he proudly displayed his spikes, which bore her birth date and showed the initials of her name painted on his fingernails.

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Tebogo aims dig at Noah Lyles

When asked if he aspired to set world records or become the face of track and field, Tebogo humbly downplayed the heroics.

In doing so, he subtly deflected the limelight from himself, perhaps taking a quiet jab at Lyles’ earlier bravado.

"I can't be the face of athletics because I'm not an arrogant or a loud person like Noah (Lyles)," he said, as quoted by FloTrack.

Reason why Noah Lyles sat in wheelchair after 200m dash

Briefly News also reported that American sprinter Noah Lyles was taken away in a wheelchair after securing third place in the 200m final at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Reports from U.S. Track and Field indicated that Lyles had tested positive for COVID-19 just two days before the race but chose to compete despite his illness.

Source: YEN.com.gh