Noah Lyles mocked as rival Letsile Tebogo meets Pope for Papal grace

Fans have taken to social media to taunt American sprinter Noah Lyles after his Olympic rival, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana was granted an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

The meeting, which took place ahead of the Golden Gala Diamond League after Tebogo's stunning victory over Lyles in the 200m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has sparked a flurry of comments online, many of them taking jabs at the American athlete.

As images of Tebogo's papal visit circulated online, fans were quick to draw comparisons between the Motswana sprinter and his American counterpart.

One user commented, "That's a definite one up on Noah Lyles. How do you top that?" This sentiment was echoed by many, suggesting that Tebogo had not only bested Lyles on the track but was now outshining him off it as well.

Another fan noted the unique nature of the visit, stating, "This yute is special. Respect due. I can't recall any other track & field celebrity making a courtesy call on the Pope."

This comment further underscored the perceived gap between Tebogo and other athletes, including Lyles.

During his visit to the Vatican, Tebogo, the newly crowned Olympic 200m champion, presented his Paris 2024 gold medal to Pope Francis.

The 21-year-old athlete also received prayers for his late mother and had his Olympic-winning spikes blessed with the Holy Father's signature.

This gesture, seen by many as both humble and significant, has only served to amplify the admiration for Tebogo and, consequently, the criticism of Lyles.

The context for this social media storm stems from the recent Olympic final in Paris, where Tebogo outclassed Lyles to claim the gold medal in the men's 200m event.

Tebogo's winning time of 19.46 seconds not only secured Botswana's first-ever Olympic gold medal but also set a new African record.

Lyles, who had been favoured to win, had to settle for the bronze medal with a time of 19.70 seconds, finishing behind his teammate Kenny Bednarek who took silver in 19.62 seconds.

The American sprinter, known for his active social media presence and outspoken nature, has remained quiet on this latest development.