The next stop at the Diamond League is shaping up to be more than just another stop on the circuit—it’s becoming the battleground for one of track and field’s most intriguing rivalries. After a tense finish and a controversial glance in Doha, American sprint star Courtney Lindsey is heading to a new place with a score to settle against Botswana’s Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo. Their last clash was fiery. This one might just ignite. But where will the scores be settled?
Tebogo, who’s been on an absolute tear since snagging an Olympic gold, has been exchanging some serious shade with Courtney Lindsey, an American phenom who’s desperate to prove he can hang with the best. Their last showdown in Doha earlier this month? Well, it was a barn burner, setting the stage for a blockbuster rematch. So, what exactly lit the fuse in Qatar?
Rewind to May 16, 2025, at the Doha Diamond League. Tebogo didn’t just win the men’s 200m; he made a statement. As he crossed the finish line at 20.10s, he slowed down and shot a “cheeky glance” at Lindsey. Tebogo glanced back and slowed down as he hit the finish, but Lindsey was hot on his heels, just 0.01 seconds shy of the Olympic champion.
The moments were all over the media, and let’s just say it sent shockwaves through the track world. “I told Mak that now this is our first race. I have to enjoy it because once it gets tough, uh, throughout the season, I won’t be able to enjoy it, you know. At least let me enjoy one race and then I’ll see how we do about the other ones.” Tebogo casually said after the race.
Some folks saw it as a playful flex, a sprinter just having fun in the moment. But others, especially in the American camp, called it straight-up disrespectful. Lindsey, who finished just behind Tebogo, found himself at the center of a viral debate that’s still raging. The big question now: can Lindsey turn the tables in Rabat?
Spoiler Alert The Men’s 200m at the Rabat Diamond League meeting is STACKED.
We’ll see a rematch between Tebogo and Lindsey, plus a few other Americans in the fray.
Tune in on Sunday, May 25, LIVE on FloTrack.#DiamondLeague and #RabatDL coverage presented by… pic.twitter.com/OSlNG1TyTI
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) May 20, 2025
The stage is officially set for a fiery showdown on May 25, 2025, at the Rabat Diamond League, and it’s shaping up to be a sprinting spectacle. FloTrack broke the news on X, and fans are going wild! The men’s 200m field is absolutely stacked, featuring not just Tebogo and Lindsey but also other big names. This epic race, part of the Mohammed VI International Athletics Meeting, will be streaming live on FloTrack from 1:00 to 4:00 PM ET, giving you a front-row seat to all the action. As the fourth stop of the 2025 Diamond League season, this meet is Lindsey’s golden opportunity to strike back. Can he rise to the occasion against such a loaded field?
The brewing rivalry is now on full display
This isn’t the first time these two have gone head-to-head with everything on the line. Cast your mind back to April 2024 at the Kip Keino Classic in Kenya. Lindsey pulled off a stunning upset, narrowly beating Tebogo in the 200m with a blistering 19.71 seconds, just a hair ahead of Tebogo’s near-identical time. That win made Lindsey the world leader in the event at the time, a moment of glory that proved he could truly go toe-to-toe with the Botswanan star.
But Tebogo’s Doha victory—and that now-infamous glance—completely shifted the narrative, putting Lindsey on the back foot. With the eyes of the track world fixed on Rabat, can Lindsey channel that Kip Keino magic and reclaim his spot at the top?
The men’s 200m field is absolutely stacked, besides featuring rivals Tebogo and Lindsey, also big names like Joseph Fahnbulleh, Robert Gregory, Kyree King, Erriyon Knighton, Benjamin Richardson, Wayde van Niekerk, and Ryan Zeze will be running the tracks. But Rabat isn’t just about the men’s 200m showdown.
The meet is packed with star power, including Dutch sensation Femke Bol, who’s kicking off her season in the women’s 400m hurdles. Bol, a four-time Diamond League winner, adds even more sizzle to an already electric event. Still, for American track fans tuning in via FloTrack, with coverage backed by Fleet Feet Sports and Tracksmith, the spotlight will be firmly on Lindsey as he takes on Tebogo in a race that’s as much about pride as it is about pure speed. Can Lindsey deliver a performance that sends a powerful message to the entire sprinting world?
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