Letsile Tebogo stuns Paris by winning olympic 200m, calls out Noah Lyles

Letsile Tebogo caused a sensation in Paris by winning the Olympic 200-meter race final. The Botswana representative defeated the great favorite, Noah Lyles. At the post-competition press conference, he made harsh remarks about the American.

On Thursday at the stadium in Paris, Letsile Tebogo surprised everyone by winning the gold medal in the 200-meter distance. In the final, he achieved an excellent time of 19.46 seconds. Kenneth Bednarek won the silver with 19.62 seconds, and the great favorite Noah Lyles, who had previously won the final of the 100-meter race, finished third with a time of 19.70 seconds.

Asked after the race if he wanted to be the face of athletics, Tebogo harshly remarked about Lyles.

I think, for me, I can't be the face of athletics because I'm not an arrogant or a loud person like Noah (Lyles). So, I believe Noah is the face of athletics - said Tebogo at the press conference. This was a clear jab at the American, who is known for his high self-confidence.

After the final race, it appeared that Lyles was infected with COVID-19. The American stated that only his coaches, doctors, and mother knew about it.

It definitely affected my performance. To be honest, I’m more proud of myself than anything - said Lyles, as quoted by "Daily Mail Sport".

The sensational 200-meter race winner turned 21 in June. Before the Olympics, his biggest successes were the medals he won during the World Championships in Budapest in 2023. He won silver in the 100-meter and bronze in the 200-meter races, both of which were won by Noah Lyles at that time.