Letsile Tebogo wins historic 200-meter Olympic gold over Covid-stricken Noah Lyles

It’s the first time Lyles has lost in the 200 since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

There will be no sprint double for Noah Lyles.

The Olympic 100-meter champion was unable to win his first Olympic 200-meter gold medal, finishing with a bronze medal behind fellow American Kenny Bednarek and Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, whose 19.46-second gold medal performance makes him the fifth-fastest in history.

History repeats itself for Lyles

Lyles is already one of the great 200-meter runners in history and the third-fastest all-time, but the one thing he hasn’t won is the Olympic gold medal. As the favorite in Tokyo, Lyles was beaten by both Bednarek and gold medalist Andre De Grasse (who didn’t make this year’s final). It was only the second time Lyles had lost a 200-meter final since turning professional after the US Olympic trials in 2016.

Lyles diagnosed with COVID-19 two days before final

In Wednesday’s semifinals, Lyles came in second behind Tebogo in an uncharacteristic performance. LetsRun.com revealed at the time that Lyles “would not stop in the mixed zone as he was being taken to medical.”

Following the final, Lyles, who is asthmatic, was lying on the track struggling to catch his breath and required medical attention before being taken off in a wheelchair.

During the NBC broadcast, reporter Lewis Johnson told viewers that Lyles was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Tuesday, which was a day off for Lyles in between 200-meter heats and semis. With restrictions no longer in place regarding a positive Covid test, Lyles opted to run anyway.

This is the second time Lyles has contracted the virus. Lyles had Covid just prior to the 2023 US World Championship trials in Eugene.

“I’ve been sick since [the] New York [Grand Prix], I actually got COVID,” Lyles told reporters afterward. “I didn’t get cleared until Sunday and flew out Monday, so it’s been a wild week, a very wild week.”

Lyles finished third to make his first USA 100-meter team on his way to pulling off the 100/200/4x100 triple gold in the World Championships in Budapest.

In an interview with Lewis Johnson, Lyles explained what happened and how he felt after the diagnosis.

“I woke up early on Tuesday morning and just feeling really horrible,” Lyles said. “I knew it was more than being sore from the 100. Woke up the doctors and we tested and unfortunately it came up that I was positive for Covid.

“My first thought was not to panic. I’ve been in worse situations and I’ve run with worse conditions I felt. We just took it day by day, trying to hydrate as much and quarantine off. It’s taking it’s toll for sure but I’ve never been more proud of myself for being able to come out here and getting a bronze medal, whereas last Olympics I was very disappointed. This time I couldn’t be more proud.”

Lyles said that he never considered withdrawing from the final, but in terms of running the anchor leg of Friday’s 4x100 relay, it’s a different story.

“At the moment I don’t know,” Lyles said. “I’m feeling more on the side of letting team USA do their thing. They’ve proven with great certainty that they can handle it without me. If that’s the case coming off today, I’m perfectly fine saying ‘Hey, you guys go do your thing. You’ve got more than enough speed to get the gold medal.”

Historic, emotional win for Letsile Tebogo

It’s a monumental victory for Tebogo, who’s been competing with a heavy heart since the unexpected passing of his mother back in May. The 21-year-old has been one of the best sprinting prospects in recent memory. He holds the U20 world record in the 100 meters at 9.91 seconds and won the silver in the 100 and bronze in the 200 at last year’s Worlds.

With this win, Tebogo is the first gold medalist for Botswana in Olympic history, as well as the first African Olympic champion in the 200 meters. There is no doubt that he will be a chief rival of Lyles for years to come in both sprints, and he’s pulled off one of the greatest 200-meter performances in history.