ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – AUGUST 28: Noah Lyles of Team USA poses for a photo after winning the Men’s 200m Final during the Weltklasse Zurich, part of the 2025 Diamond League at Letzigrund on August 28, 2025 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Noah Lyles is back. On the last day of the Diamond League finals, Lyles claimed a much-needed victory, winning the 200-meter final in 19.74 seconds. At one of the highly anticipated races of the event, Letsile Tebogo and Lyles faced each other in the lineup for the event once again following Tebogo’s Paris Olympics triumph over the American sprinter. At the blocks, Tebogo, determined to repeat history, claimed a lead, as Lyles trailed behind. However, the world champion eventually surged in the final meters to create history on the Zurich tracks and claim his sixth Diamond League title. Tebogo, with a 0.02-second difference, placed second in 19.76, followed by the Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando, who placed third in 20.14
“Six in a row, the most in track! It is pretty nice to have that. I saw Letsile lean on the finish line, but I knew I won. I knew if I panicked, I was not going to win. If you are tight, you are done for.,” a satisfied Lyles stated in the post-race interview. His win at Zurich was preceded by two consecutive runner-up finishes in the 100-meter races this month.
Apart from maintaining his streak at the Diamond League, this win also highlights Lyle’s and Tebogo’s growing on-track rivalry. This season, both athletes have been affected by injuries. However, they continue to maintain steady performances in the 200-meter category. After facing a “recurring knee injury” during the start of the season, Tebogo took a six-week break and made a staunch comeback, winning the Eugene Diamond League with a world lead of 19.76.
Following this, at the Monaco Diamond League, Lyles and Letsile Tebogo revived their rivalry at the 200-meter event. Lyles, returning from a three-month hiatus amid an early-season injury, posted a time of 19.88, followed by Tebogo in 19.97. Notably, both athletes achieved a sub-20 performance despite a poor start to the season and missing weeks of training.
Now, the fans await the two top-notch athletes to continue bringing out their best at the World Championships in Tokyo. Apart from Tebogo, Lyles will also face tough competition from his teammate Kenny Bednarek. The 200-meter Paris Olympics silver medalist has been consistently delivering strong performances in the category. He secured the top podium finishes at all three legs of the 2025 Grand Slam track. He also qualified for the Worlds by registering his season’s best of 19.67 at the USATF championships.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/parasjan/2025/08/29/noah-lyles-lifts-his-sixth–diamond-league-trophy-in-zurich/
