Botswana’s athletic sensation, Letsile Tebogo, has ventured to Potchefstroom, South Africa, to refine his training and resume his remarkable progress from the previous year, as revealed by The Business Weekly Sports.
A force to be reckoned with in the 100m and 200m events, Tebogo made a significant impact on the global athletic stage in 2023 by securing two prestigious medals at the Budapest World Athletics Championships.
In the highly competitive 100m event, Tebogo secured a silver medal, posting an impressive time of 9.88 seconds. This achievement not only signified a personal triumph but also solidified his place in history as the first African man to clinch a medal in the men’s 100m at the senior World Championships. The accolades persisted as Tebogo seized a bronze medal in the 200m with a lightning-fast time of 19.81 seconds.
Tebogo’s journey to Budapest was characterised by remarkable achievements, particularly during a Diamond League meet where he broke a 26-year-old African record in the 200m, clocking an astonishing 19.50 seconds.
Currently, he is at the High-Performance Centre in Potchefstroom, South Africa, under the said the focus is on preparing Tebogo for the demanding 2024 athletics calendar, including the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. He hopes Tebogo will participate in some races while in South Africa
“He will be joined by his training mates in Leungo Scotch and Bayapo Ndori (both 400m athletes) after they run their race there in Gaborone on the 10th of February,” he said.
“My expectation is for all of them to go to Europe around May after the World Relays. While there, they will keep on intensifying their training and compete in other competitions.”
Mosimanyane is pleased with the progress made by the trio and mentioned that they are responding well, while also expressing caution in their training.
Renowned for his prowess in the 100m and 200m races, Tebogo ventured into the 400m race last month (January 2024) and delivered a commendable performance, finishing with a time of 46.72 seconds at a Botswana Athletics Association meet in Francistown.
Meanwhile, Tebogo, Scotch, and Ndori are among the five local athletes who have already secured qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The other accomplished athletes include Tshepiso Masalela (800m) and Collen Kebinatshipi (400m). The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, officially titled the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, are set to be held from July 26 to August 11, 2024, in France, with Paris serving as the main host city and an additional 16 cities across metropolitan France, along with one sub-site in Tahiti—an island within the French overseas country and overseas collectivity of French Polynesia.
