The Paris Olympics paved the path for several upcoming stars who rose as unexpected winners on the track. In a bold forecast for the future of track and field, music producer and athlete Erin Brown has identified Julien Alfred and Letsile Tebogo as the athletes poised to dominate the sprinting world in 2025.
The World Championships will take place in Tokyo in 2025, and the athletes are already hyped about it. This was why Ready Set Go podcast host Justin Gatlin was curious about who his co-host Rodney Green and guest speaker Brown thought had the power to ace the field.
Gatlin asked Brown, “who do you feel is gonna be the dominant athlete going into 2025, male sprinter and female sprinter?” Brown hesitated but eventually gave in, revealing that the Paris 200m gold medalist Botswanian athlete had the X-factor.
Tebogo had beaten Noah Lyles and several others in the Men’s 200m sprint by a significant margin, leading track and field fans to root for him in future races. He also bagged an Olympic medal for the 4x400m relays, highlighting his long-distance running prowess. Brown explained:
“He’s having good races, he has some bad races and he’s still beating these guys. So, I feel like he’s going to be a problem in the future.“
Similarly, when speaking of women athletes, Brown emphasized how Alfred could reign supreme despite Sha’Carri Richardson’s current lead.
The duo have been hot on the trail to become the fastest on track, and with Alfred beating the American at the 100m Olympic sprint, the dominance could shift. Brown had been rooting for her for quite some time and admitted:
“She’s really good, and I’m glad she is finally getting the credit that she deserves.“
However, with the women athletes, he believed one couldn’t predict the results simply because of how many of them held the potential. While Richardson and Alfred could still go head-to-head, veterans like Shericka Jackson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce have ruled the game for quite a while.
Hence, the discussion surrounding the dominance of a particular athlete could go on for ages since events on the track are unpredictable, and many stars emerge with good strategies that help them gain an edge over others.
However, the variety and spotlight over newer athletes help engross people, developing new favorites and preferences. With track and field gradually garnering more audience, with a Netflix documentary and experts like Michael Johnson introducing the Grand Slam Track, one can expect more hyped-up athletes ready to prove their worth.
