Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Noah Lyles, Athletics, Usain Bolt
Ben McCrum
Olympic champion Noah Lyles sent rival Letsile Tebogo a honest message after winning gold at the World Athletics Championships.
On Saturday 13th September, the the biennial World Athletics Championships got underway in the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, the same venue that hosted the 2020 Olympic Games.
Several of the biggest names in Athletics travelled to the Japanese capital to compete, with the likes of Britain's Keely Hodgkinson and Katarina Johnson-Thompson all in attendance.
As is typically the case, the men's sprinting events were some of the most highly-anticipated of the week, as American Lyles looked to further his case in comparisons with Olympic legend Usain Bolt.
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And that is exactly what the sprinter did, as he won his fourth successive world title in the 200m event before sending a clear message to rival Tebogo.
Following disappointing bronze medal finishes in both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics, where he later revealed he was suffering from COVID-19, Lyles looked to make a statement in the 200m final at the World Championships.
With a final time of 19.52, he took home the gold medal while Olympic gold medallist Tebogo failed to make it onto the podium with a finishing time of 19.65.
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But, Despite his rivalry with Botswana’s Tebogo, Lyles had nothing but good things to say about his rival, encouraging him to keep being himself on track in a honest message post-race.
Speaking to press after his win, Lyles addressed his Tebogo, saying: "I see you want to showboat. Just do it!"
Adding to his plea, Lyles said: "It's you, do the antics, put on the crown, do it! Don't be scared of how people say they don't think you're humble, f*** them thinking you're not humble.
"You know who you are, be yourself. It makes you so much more fun to compete against."
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Throughout his career. Lyles has made a name for himself due to his confident nature and his post-win showboating, something that he has clearly wants to see more of from Tebogo.
He added: "I would love to see somebody else that knows that he has the character and the charisma. He has it, but so many times I see him giving a dull version of this."
Ahead of the championships, Lyles admitted that he be comfortable with falling short and taking bronze in the 100m event if it meant he would get 200m gold by breaking Bolt's world-record time.
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Unfortuantely for the American, he failed to break Bolt's record of 19.19 seconds, set back in 2009, but by winning gold he equalled Bolt's record of finishing first in the 200m event at four consecutive World Athletics Championships.
"I can't wait for 2027 to become the only man to win five 200 metres titles," said Lyles after the race.