Quiet Letsile Tebogo’s legs to ‘do the talking’ in Lyles 200m worlds battle

TOKYO – Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo said on Sept 9 he would let his “legs do the talking” in his battle with brash American Noah Lyles at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The soft-spoken Botswanan won his country’s first Olympic gold medal in any sport at Paris 2024, where Lyles finished third.

Tebogo labelled his flamboyant American rival “arrogant” after the race, and Lyles’ outsized character is likely to command the global spotlight again when the world championships begin on Sept 13.

Tebogo said he was comfortable with the “different personalities” in the sport, as he took part in an event with children at a primary school in Tokyo.

“I’m one person who always shies away from the media, but the sport forces me to step up, up my game into becoming a sports personality,” said the 22-year-old.

“At the end of the day, it’s all about what do you want to see: To be in the spotlight or off the spotlight. For me, I choose off the spotlight and then just my legs do the talking.”

Lyles got the better of Tebogo in the 200m in the Diamond League Finals in Zurich two weeks ago, edging out the Botswanan by two-hundredths of a second.

The duo are also set to square off in the 100m in Tokyo.

Tebogo is looking to win his first world title after picking up silver in the 100m and bronze in the 200m in Budapest in 2023.

He said he felt like “a hero” to Botswanans after his historic Olympic success but vowed not to change his approach in Tokyo.

“Once you invite pressure inside yourself, then it means you are not doing it for yourself, you are doing it for the people,” he said.

“Yes, you should do it for the people but it’s you first and then the people later. Once you put pressure inside yourself, it means you have done something wrong.”

Tebogo has also said that athletics saved him from a life of crime and he is a global ambassador for the Kids Athletics development programme.

He was all smiles during his school visit, banging a traditional Japanese drum to start a race that saw about 100 children scramble under nets and tiptoe over balance beams.

He said he felt a responsibility to “inspire kids all over the world”.

“I’m so excited to see how the Japanese relay culture works and I really can’t wait to work with these kids because we had a fun time in Botswana,” said Tebogo.

“I believe we’re also going to have fun here.”

Meanwhile, Haruka Kitaguchi can expect a hero’s welcome when she takes to the field at Tokyo’s National Stadium but recent injury woes mean the Olympic javelin champion may struggle to defend her title.

The 27-year-old shot to fame in 2023 when her final throw of 66.73m in Budapest made her the first Japanese woman to win a world title in a field event.

Her celebrity status in Japan reached new heights in 2024 when she repeated the feat in Paris, becoming the first Japanese woman to win an Olympic track and field gold outside of the marathon.

Kitaguchi’s dominance – coupled with her bubbly demeanour and trademark dimpled smile – had marked her out as one of the highlights for local fans at the world championships.

But those expectations fizzled after Kitaguchi, who is based in the Czech Republic, developed inflammation in her right elbow in June.

Upon her return to competition in August she was last in the Diamond League Finals in Zurich. Still, that has not stopped the Hokkaido native from aiming to defend her title.

“Since I’ve already experienced how amazing it feels to win a gold medal, I know I love being No. 1,” she said. “So I’m going to give it everything to be the best.

“Aside from my elbow and arm, I feel my overall condition is much better than it was for the Paris Olympics. If I can go into the event in a state where I can throw properly, I’ll be pretty confident.” AFP, REUTERS