Letsile Tebogo pulled off a shock victory in the 200 metres on Thursday, delivering a savage verdict on Noah Lyles after defeating the American sprinter.
Lyles had confidently told reporters beforehand that he would win the race and made an extremely grandiloquent entrance at the Stade de France as he jumped and waved his arms towards the crowd.
But the American (who later revealed he had COVID) finished third in the race while Tebogo led the pack, with the Botswana sprinter going on to call Lyles “arrogant” and “loud.”
When the newly crowned 200m champion was asked if he aspired to be the face of athletics, he said his more laid-back approach would not allow him to reach Lyles’ level of fame.
“For me, I can’t be the face of athletics because I’m not an arrogant or loud person like Noah,” she said.
Letsile Tebogo (right) called Lyles “arrogant” and “loud” after beating the American sprinter
Lyles confirmed after the race that he had COVID and was placed in a wheelchair
“So I think Noah is the face of athletics.”
The comment prompted a brief, wry smile from Lyles’ U.S. teammate Kenny Bednarek, who won silver in the race.
Lyles boldly predicted before the 200m that she would complete the double after winning 100m gold in a nail-biting finish.
“None of them are winning. When they come out of the spin, they’ll be depressed,” he said.
That prediction didn’t pan out, however, as Lyles struggled to finish third and was placed in a wheelchair moments after the race, clearly out of breath from his COVID diagnosis.
She later revealed that her Olympics were likely over and took to Instagram to thank fans for their support.
Lyles had been scheduled to compete in the 4×100 relay, but said she hoped “everyone enjoyed the show.”
Lyles (back left) crossed the finish line in third place, despite being the heavy favorite for the race.
Lyles was clearly struggling to breathe after finishing third in Thursday’s event.
The sprint star’s mother confirmed to NBC that her son had COVID before he spoke to the network.
She told NBC, while wearing a face mask: “I woke up early around 5 a.m. Tuesday morning, feeling really horrible. I knew it was more than just pain from the 100. My first thought was not to panic, I’ve been in worse situations, I’ve been in worse conditions.
“I took it day by day, tried to stay hydrated as much as possible. I’d say it took its toll, for sure, but I’ve never been more proud of myself for coming out here and getting a bronze.”
Lyles later said that the other competitors were unaware of her diagnosis: “We tried to keep it a secret. The medical staff, my coach and my mother knew.
“We didn’t want everyone to panic. We wanted to be able to compete. We wanted to be as discreet as possible and we didn’t want to tell our competitors that we were sick. Why give them an advantage?”