Throughout the 2024 season, Letsile Tebogo has been dominating the track scene. He started his winning run on the ASA Grand Prix Tour and hasn’t faced any major challenges yet. Track enthusiasts are taking notice of this, including four-time world champion Justin Gatlin, who, on the ‘Ready Set Go’ podcast on Instagram, compares Tebogo to track superstar Usain Bolt.
Gatlin admires Tebogo because he recognizes his ability before any given tournament. The former American athlete describes how sprinting has long been absent from African athletics. Although there are a lot of middle-to-long-distance runners on the continent, Tebogo fills the gap.
He highlights the widespread motivation among young athletes to emulate the Botswana sprinter and create their own enduring legacy. The four-time world champion also makes the following comparison between the 20-year-old runner and Usain Bolt:
“It’s the same thing Usain Bolt did, I feel like. He ignited such a confidence not only in Jamaica but the Caribbean period.”
Bolt stormed through Jamaican racecourses to start his career off strong. But when he won an Olympic gold medal, the standard for younger athletes was raised even more. He attracted a large number of admirers to track and field and turned into a role model for many other athletes.
According to Gatlin, Tebogo is doing the exact same thing because he broke the 300-meter world record, which has garnered him a lot of attention. Rodney A. Green agreed with Gatlin’s remarks, stating that he won’t be shocked if Botswana captures a medal in the 4×100-meter relay competitions this year.
The majority portion of the track season is still left, but Tebogo is determined and is up for the upcoming challenges. The Olympics are his main priority, just like any other athlete, and he is aiming for major stints in Paris. The 20-year-old sprinter has also proved his skills as he secured three major feats at the ASA Grand Prix tour.
Letsile Tebogo shattered a world record and secured two world leads
Tebogog kicked off his 2024 season at the ASA Grand Prix in Pilditch Stadium, Pretoria. The 300-meter race saw Letsile Tebogo storm through the racecourse, clocking in an impressive 30.69 seconds. This run broke the world record of Wayne van Niekerk, which was set back in 2017. This was a huge moment for the young athlete, but he didn’t stop there. Tebogo participated in the 400-meter and 200-meter sprints too.
In the 400-meter race, he obliterated the competition to secure first place and a world lead. He continued the same form in the 200-meter race, where he also achieved the same feats. The whole tour proved to the track world that they have a new athlete to watch out for, and he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
