Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, the reigning Olympic 200m champion, is set to conclude a remarkable season with a strong performance at the Diamond League finals in Brussels on Saturday. The 21-year-old sprinter, who recently overcame the personal tragedy of his mother’s passing, has been in stellar form throughout the year.
Tebogo’s breakthrough moment came at the Paris Games, where he clinched gold in the 200m with a record-breaking African time of 19.46 seconds, placing him fifth on the all-time list. His victory also marked him as the first African to win the Olympic 200 meters. Prior to the Olympics, Tebogo had already made waves with a silver in the 100m and a bronze in the 200m at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.
Since Paris, Tebogo has continued his winning streak at Diamond League events, triumphing in Lausanne, Silesia, Rome, and Zurich, where he posted an impressive 19.55 seconds despite adverse weather conditions.
At a press conference ahead of the finals, Tebogo expressed his excitement about the new generation of sprinters emerging in the post-Usain Bolt era. “I believe there’s a new generation coming up. We’ve passed the Bolt era but we haven’t yet surpassed his goals in track and field,” Tebogo remarked.
The Brussels event, which marks the culmination of the 14-meet Diamond League series, will see Tebogo compete against Liberia’s Joseph Fahnbulleh and a strong American contingent, including 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 optimistic about the race. “It’s two Africans against the rest of the world,” he said. “I believe it’s going to be a good race!”
The sprinter also acknowledged the potential challenge of breaking the stadium record of 19.26 seconds set by Yohan Blake in 2011. “Looking at what I did in Zurich, no one thought 19.5 was possible given the weather conditions,” Tebogo noted. “I believe the stadium record is possible, but I don’t want to put myself under pressure. If it happens, it happens.”
Tebogo’s triumphant return to Gaborone after his Olympic gold was met with a grand celebration, including a half-day holiday declared by Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi. “Seeing the thousands of people waiting for me at the stadium was amazing,” Tebogo said.
In addition to his individual success, Tebogo contributed to Botswana’s silver medal in the 4x400m relay at Paris. Looking ahead, he hinted at a possible future focus on the 400m after the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, though he remains passionate about the 200m. “My favourite event is the 200m because it’s less technical than the 100m,” he explained. “You can fix mistakes and push your body to its maximum limits.”
As Tebogo aims to end his season on a high note, his performances continue to inspire and set new benchmarks in the world of athletics.
