BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP)— Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo is poised to cap off his remarkable season with a strong performance at the Diamond League finals in Brussels this Saturday. The Botswana sprinter, who has experienced a whirlwind year, is feeling “energised” as he heads into the final event of the elite 14-meet circuit.
Tebogo’s year has been defined by a series of impressive achievements. After tragically losing his mother in May, the 21-year-old bounced back to secure a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, setting a new African record with a time of 19.46 seconds. This remarkable performance not only placed him fifth on the all-time list but also made him the first African to win the Olympic 200 metres.
Before his Olympic triumph, Tebogo had already made his mark on the global stage with a silver in the 100m and a bronze in the 200m at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. His momentum continued as he claimed victories in the 200m at Diamond League events in Lausanne, Silesia, Rome, and Zurich, with his Zurich win standing out at 19.55 seconds under challenging weather conditions.
In a pre-finals press conference on Thursday, Tebogo reflected on the shifting landscape of sprinting. He acknowledged the end of the Usain Bolt era but expressed confidence in the new generation of athletes. “People always have their own opinions about how you look at one particular person,” Tebogo said. “For me, I believe there’s a new generation coming up.”
Regarding the possibility of breaking the stadium record in Brussels, held by Bolt’s former Jamaican teammate Yohan Blake with a time of 19.26 seconds, Tebogo remained optimistic but cautious. “Looking at what I did in Zurich, no one thought that 19.5 was possible considering the weather conditions,” he noted. “I believe the stadium record is possible, but I don’t want to put myself under that pressure. If it comes, it comes.”
The 200m final will be a high-stakes race featuring strong competition from Liberia’s Joseph Fahnbulleh and American sprinters Kenny Bednarek, Erriyon Knighton, and Fred Kerley. Tebogo, who also finished sixth in the 100m final in Paris with a time of 9.86 seconds, is excited about the challenge. “It’s two Africans against the rest of the world,” he said. “I believe it’s going to be a good race!”
Tebogo’s return to Botswana was met with enthusiastic celebrations, including a special reception from President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who declared a half-day holiday in honor of the Olympic athletes. “It was a proud moment seeing the thousands of people waiting for me at the stadium,” Tebogo recalled. “It was amazing for me.”
Looking ahead, Tebogo is contemplating a shift in focus. After his successful stint in the 200m, he plans to challenge himself in the 100m and then potentially transition to the 400m after the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. “My favourite event is the 200m because it’s not as technical as the 100m,” he said. “With the 200m, you can fix mistakes and push your body to its maximum limits.”
As he wraps up a standout season, Letsile Tebogo is eager to continue his ascent in the world of athletics and leave his mark on the sport.
