‘Letsile Tebogo Backed to Dethrone Noah Lyles at World Championships
Despite an up-and-down season, Letsile Tebogo’s coach remains confident he will rise to the occasion and beat Noah Lyles in Tokyo.
Despite a mixed start to the season, Letsile Tebogo’s coach, Nicolas Keita Manyepedza, confidently predicts the Olympic 200m champion will win gold at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Letsile Tebogo claimed a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary and will be looking to go one place better, and hopefully dethrone Noah Lyles. The anticipated showdown with rival Noah Lyles could shape the future of men’s sprinting.
The 21-year-old has experienced both triumphs and setbacks in 2025. Letsile Tebogo had a strong start to the season with a series of wins in the 400m.
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He made his 200m season debut with a victory at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix. The world 100m silver medallist also finished seventh in the 100m at the Diamond League meet in Xiamen and third in Keqiao.
A 200m win in the Diamond League Meeting in Doha was followed by a disappointing 100m performance in Rabat, where he finished ninth, citing an injury.
Letsile Tebogo then claimed a world-leading 19.76-second 200m run at the Prefontaine Classic, showcasing his potential, but he faltered against Noah Lyles in Monaco. A seventh-place finish in the 100m at the London Diamond League meet further fueled concerns about his consistency.
Letsile Tebogo’s Coach Backs Him to Beat Noah Lyles at World Championships
Coach Manyepedza, however, dismisses any notion of fatigue or pressure affecting Letsile Tebogo ahead of the global showpiece.
The veteran tactician views the Diamond League as crucial preparation for the World Championships.
Despite Letsile Tebogo’s recent loss to Noah Lyles, who is aiming for a triple gold medal performance in Tokyo, Manyepedza remains unwavering in his belief in the youngster’s abilities.
“I don’t think it’s fatigue or pressure. He won some races prior to London. What happened there was more about top-end speed,” the coach told SportsBoom.com.
“In London, he pushed hard from the start but faded in the last 20 meters. He’s working on perfecting both his start and finish and trying to combine them in future races.
“He can definitely beat Lyles. I strongly believe he’s better in the 200m. Letsile is the best 200m runner in the world right now and he will dominate for years to come. He’s quite young compared to Lyles and still improving.”
As Letsile Tebogo prepares for the final Diamond League events, the focus sharpens on the potential clash with Lyles in Tokyo, a rivalry poised to define the landscape of men’s sprinting in 2025.
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