The veteran coach explained why the fast-rising sprinter is better placed to break Usain Bolt’s 200m world record as he ruled out three-time world 200m champion Noah Lyles.
Usain Bolt’s former coach Glen Mills believes Letsile Tebogo is in a better position to break Usain Bolt’s 200m world record as he ruled out Noah Lyles from the conversation.
Mills explained that Tebogo is a formidable runner and he has to get a few things right before shattering the world record. Bolt broke the world record at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, clocking an astonishing 19.19 seconds to cross the finish line.
The only athlete to get closer to that time is Yohan Blake, who clocked 19.26 seconds to win the 2011 edition of the Diamond League Meeting in Brussels. However, with the recent times Tebogo has been posting, Mills believes the Botswanan youngster is the one to shatter the long-standing record.
“He (Tebogo) represents the biggest threat to break the world record…the 200m world record. Tebogo does not have Bolt’s speed but certainly has a good speed endurance capacity,” Mills said.
Tebogo proved to be a smart 200m runner as he outsmarted Lyles and Kenny Bednarek to win the men’s 200m title at the Paris Olympic Games. Bednarek came in second as Lyles completed the podium in the hotly contested race.
The veteran coach added that Oblique Seville beating Lyles twice this season was not by luck but the Jamaican youngster is one to watch in upcoming races.
He expected Seville to finish in the podium bracket but noted that there were positives taken from the race and the lessons will be implemented in upcoming races.
“Oblique beating him (Lyles) twice this season is not a fluke and I was confident that if Oblique was 100%, he would not have beaten him. I felt like Oblique was the man to beat, but he learnt. Kishane Thompson lost on the line because of the technicalities of how he leaned,” Mills noted.
