"Noah Lyles is misunderstood by many people," "He wasn't vocal when he lost"- Fans react as American advises Letsile Tebogo after latter misses podium

Fans on social media shared their reactions as Noah Lyles sent a strong message to Letsile Tebogo following the Men's 200m finals at the World Athletics Championships 2025. Lyles managed to win the gold medal in the event, recording a time of 19.52 seconds to finish first. Tebogo on the other hand, narrowly missed out on the bronze medal as he finished in fourth place with a time of 19.65 seconds.

Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo have faced off against each other on multiple occasions, with the two often competing in the 200m events. Before the World Championships, Lyles and Tebogo most recently competed against each other at the Diamond League finals in Zurich, where Lyles won the Men's 200m and Tebogo finished as runner-up. They also famously competed at the Paris Olympics, where Tebogo won gold while Lyles grabbed bronze in the 200m.

After winning the Men's 200m at the World Championships 2025, Lyles sent a heartfelt message to Tebogo:

"Don't worry about how other people see you. There's always going to be a target on your back. It comes with the job. But if you went after it, then you knew that was part of it. I would love to see someone else who knows that they have the charisma, the character, he has it! But so many times I see him give an adult version of himself, and I feel like he's holding back because of how other people might perceive him. Stop it, just be you"

Lyles' comments were met with mixed reactions from fans on X:

"Noah Lyles is so misunderstood by many people, he just likes having fun, and he is telling the truth about Tebogo holding back," - A fan wrote

"We made the right person fast. Track needs some personality." - A user wrote

"Noah is the ultimate alpha. Maaaan, what a race!!!!," - A fan wrote

"I’m convinced Noah can’t say or do anything without people trashing him" - Another user wrote

"Lol he wasn’t this vocal when he lost the 200metre title in Paris" - Another fan wrote

Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo also competed in the Men's 100m at this year's World Championships, with the American earning the bronze medal. Tebogo was disqualified due to a false start.

How many times has Noah Lyles faced Letsile Tebogo this season?

Noah Lyles and Tebogo at the Zurich Diamond League - Source: Getty

The rivalry between Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo continued to excite fans this season, as they faced each other on many occasions. They first competed against each other at the Monaco Diamond League meeting, where Lyles won the 200m while Tebogo finished second.

They would meet once again at the London Diamond League meeting, where Tebogo finished 7th while Lyles finished 2nd in the 100m. Their final clash before the World Championships came at the Diamond League finals in Zurich.

About the author

Harshvardhan is a journalist who covers U.S Olympic sports like gymnastics, wrestling, and track and field at Sportskeeda. He took an interest in soccer at a young age, and grew up supporting Premier League club Chelsea. With over a year of experience in the field, he hopes to grow even more within the sports industry.

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Edited by Harshvardhan Shankar