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Lyles, an overwhelming favorite before the race, ended up settling for bronze, having arrogantly stated no one would beat him before the race, and the fans have reacted to his performance.
Noah Lyles, the pre-race favorite for the 200 meters at the Paris 2024 Olympics, settled for a bronze medal in a race that saw Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo deliver a stunning performance.
Tebogo's blistering time of 19.46 seconds not only secured him the gold medal but also made history as he became the first-ever African to win the 200m event at the Olympic Games.
Tebogo, who had missed out on a medal in the men’s 100m final, was determined to make a strong comeback in the 200m.
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21:21 - 08.08.2024
Paris 2024 Olympics: Letsile Tebogo stuns favorite Noah Lyles to clinch 200m gold as Kenny Bednarek takes silver
Botswana's Letsile Tebogo stuns Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek & Co to clinch 200m gold.
He had an explosive start off the blocks and maintained his lead through the home straight, obliterating the African record with his remarkable time. American Kenny Bednarek finished second with a time of 19.62 seconds, while Lyles took third in 19.70 seconds.
Lyles’ third-place finish came as a surprise to many, as he had been heavily favored to win the gold. Before the race, he had warned his teammates to prepare for a thrashing once he hit the turn in the final.
"None of them is winning. When I come off the turn, they will be depressed," Lyles confidently stated before the race.
However, he failed to win, and the BBC reported that the Olympic 100m champion tested positive for COVID-19 before the race, which likely impacted his performance. After the race, he was seen being taken off on a stretcher and later in a wheelchair, raising concerns about his health.
Despite the health concerns, fans took to social media to react to Lyles’ performance, with many using the very words he had previously used to celebrate his victories against him.
One fan commented on X, formerly Twitter, “Letsile Tebogo got Noah Lyles in a wheelchair,” while another wrote, “With the way Noah Lyles came out, all hyped up, jumping all over the place like a jumping jack, now he has COVID-19. What a lame excuse!”
Others were skeptical about Lyles’ condition, with one fan sarcastically noting, “It's ironic how the COVID didn’t affect him until after he lost to Tebogo Letsile,” while another tweeted a picture of Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka limping during a match, with the caption, “Noah Lyles faking injury after getting bronze in 200m.”
The reactions didn’t stop there, as fans continued to criticize Lyles for his perceived overconfidence. One user opined, “Looked healthy jumping all over the place during his entrance,” and another responded, “He didn't look like it with all the energy before the race… he won the bronze and wanna blame it on COVID.”
In a final jab, one fan questioned Lyles’ status, tweeting, “NOAH LYLES LOST IN THE 200 METERS IN 'HIS' EVENT. WORLD CHAMPION OF WHAT!?!?”
Lyles’ bronze medal finish, while still a commendable achievement, has sparked a mixed reaction, with fans divided between sympathy for his health situation and criticism for not living up to expectations.
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