'No Pressure Out There'- Noah Lyles Reacts to 200m Win Over Letsile Tebogo in Monaco

The American sprinter was unstoppable in Monaco, edging Letsile Tebogo in the 200m and sharing how he stays calm under pressure.

Olympic 100m Champion Noah Lyles has stated he felt no pressure as he raced to yet another commanding victory in the men’s 200m at the Monaco Diamond League on Friday night.

Clocking a winning time of 19.88 seconds, Lyles not only maintained his unbeaten streak at Diamond League meets dating back to 2019 but also staked his claim as the sprinter to beat heading into this year’s World Athletics Championships.

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The highly anticipated showdown at Stade Louis II pitted Lyles against Paris 2024 Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo.

For much of the race, the two global stars ran shoulder-to-shoulder, thrilling a packed crowd with their rivalry.

Ultimately, Lyles overcame a slightly sluggish start to unleash a surge in the final meters that no one could match, crossing the line first while Tebogo settled for second in 19.97 seconds.

Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba, who had been a finalist in Paris last summer, nearly snatched second from Tebogo with his trademark late charge but finished third in a personal best of 19.99 seconds.

The spectacle was a perfect showcase of the depth in men’s sprinting and a preview of the fireworks likely to come at the World Championships in Tokyo this September.

“I Come Out Here and I Give My Best”

After the race, Lyles praised the crowd and reflected on his performance with characteristic composure and joy.

“The audience was amazing and showed a lot of love. That is always helpful for your first race, I put myself in the fire for that one coming back against Tebogo. I didn’t feel any pressure, I don’t see any reason to put pressure on myself because that’s what we love to do. I pray for times like this to be out here and do what I love,” he said.

The win marked Lyles’ first Diamond League outing of the season after he opted to sit out the Prefontaine Classic to focus on health and preparation. Now, with Monaco in the books and confidence surging, he plans to keep racing into top form.

“I come out here and I give my best. I am gonna go to the London Diamond League. I have been missing to compete for the last few weeks, I was watching Prefontaine and I wanted to be there but we wanted first to make sure that I am healthy and fully able to compete. I missed most the competitors, because I know everyone is giving their all,” he added.

Eyes on Tokyo and Beyond

For Lyles, the road ahead looks promising, especially with the advantage of an automatic bye into the U.S. Trials, allowing him to fine-tune every detail before Tokyo.

“I have a bye for the US Trials which makes it less stressful because it gives us the time to work on the races, it gives us time to see what works and what doesn’t and to be able to make moves from there,” he concluded.

Friday’s victory only cemented Lyles’ status as the undisputed Diamond League force and the man everyone else must catch this season.