Exclusive: “He Can Beat Noah Lyles” – Coach Predicts Letsile Tebogo Will Take World 200m Gold

Botswana athletics coach Nicolas Keita Manyepedza has backed Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo to win gold at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Mixed Season for Olympic Champion

Botswana athletics coach Nicolas Keita Manyepedza has backed star sprinter Letsile Tebogo to shine at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, insisting the reigning Olympic 200m champion is “still the man to beat.”

Tebogo, 21, has had an up-and-down 2025 season, producing inconsistent results in recent races. Despite flashes of brilliance, questions have emerged over his current form heading into the season’s biggest stage.

Tebogo opened his 2025 campaign with several 400m races before making a winning return to the 200m at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix.

He later finished second in the men’s 100m at the Diamond League Meeting in Xiamen and improved to third place at the Keqiao Meeting.

The young sprinter then clinched victory in the 200m at the Doha Diamond League, but his performance dipped in Rabat, where he finished ninth in the 100m with a time of 10.43 seconds and did not contest the 200m — a race won by American Courtney Lindsey in 20.04 seconds.

World-Leading Time Amid Setbacks

Tebogo returned to form at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, clocking a world-leading 19.76 seconds in the 200m. However, he was unable to maintain that momentum in Monaco, where he was beaten by American rival Noah Lyles in their highly anticipated head-to-head.

Over the weekend, Tebogo’s struggles continued in London, finishing a disappointing seventh in the 100m with a time of 10.12 seconds. It marked his second consecutive Diamond League loss, sparking concerns among his home supporters.

Coach Dismisses Fatigue Fears

Coach Manyepedza, speaking to SportsBoom.com, dismissed the notion that Tebogo is fatigued or feeling the pressure.

“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," he told SportsBoom.com. 

“In London, he pushed hard from the start but faded in the last 20 metres. He’s working on perfecting both his start and finish and trying to combine them in future races.”

Eyes on Tokyo

With the World Championships in Tokyo looming at the end of the outdoor season, Manyepedza believes the Diamond League is an important platform for Tebogo to build momentum and fine-tune his form.

Despite his recent defeat in Monaco, where Lyles triumphed after a long absence from the 200m, the coach remains confident in Tebogo’s ability to deliver on the big stage.

Rivalry With Lyles Heating Up

Lyles, 28, who is targeting a triple gold medal haul in Tokyo — as he did at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest — has emerged once again as Tebogo’s main challenger.

But Manyepedza is undeterred by the American's resurgence, backing Tebogo to win gold in Tokyo.

“He can definitely beat Lyles. I strongly believe he’s better in the 200m,” the coach said.

“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," he concluded 

Tebogo now turns his attention to the final leg of the Diamond League season as he sharpens his form for a potential showdown with Lyles in Tokyo — a rivalry that could define the men’s sprints in 2025.