Letsile Tebogo
Botswana is so lucky that, as Isaac Makwala is wounding down and in the twilight of his career, there’s a new poster boy taking the mantle as their next global star. His name is Letsile Tebogo and he’s already living the part as his country’s anointed next big star.
At the World Junior Championships in Nairobi in 2021, Tebogo became the first athlete from Botswana to win a world title in the 100m at any level, clinching the gold medal in a time of 10.19s. He also added a Silver medal to that, finishing 2nd in the 200m clocking 20.38s.
Tebogo became his country’s first athlete to run sub 10s, bettering his own National Record when he ran 9.96s which was briefly a World Junior Record (WJR). However the time was not ratified because there was ‘no zero gun test performed for the timing equipment.’
Although he might not have the WJR, Tebogo was content with still having his sub 10s accorded to him: “the job is done, even though they cancelled my World record, but I still have the 9 (sub 10)” Tebogo said.
The 19-year-old made his first Diamond League bow at the Prefontaine classics where he would go on to finish 5th in 10.12s against an elite field comprising of eventual winner, Trayvon Bromell and Kerley.
“The experience (competing at the Eugene DL) was a pretty awesome one. It was good, because I got to chat with Fred Kerley, and we shared what we shared. It was good.”
Tebogo’s team has been meticulous managing his races this season. At the African Championships, he focused solely on the 200m and duly got rewarded running an easy three rounds to win his maiden continental gold medal, earning victory in 20.26s (+3.0).
That victory earned him qualification for the 200m in Oregon by Designated competition, however he has opted to compete in just the 100m at the World Championships, even though he could have combined both events. He is prioritizing championships and focusing on one event at a time.
Tebogo has his sights on the World Junior Championships in Cali, sitting out the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham as he attempts to retain his 100m crown and then having a go at the 200m hoping to win the double in Colombia.
While he might not be the favourite to win the men’s 100m in Eugene, he could possibly run a much faster sub 10s and race to a new WJR that will this time not fail any gun test.
*** There are many more African athletes with potentials to make the finals of their respective sprinting events: Marie Josee Ta Lou who has not had a great start to her season, Gambia’s Gina Bass who ran a 100m National Record of 11.07s, and then there’s Aminatou Seyni who won Niger Republic’s first African Championships individual title winning the women’s 200m.
Africa will have a stellar cast in Oregon.
