Letsile Tebogo first stunned the world at the Athletics World Championships last year. His mother, Seratiwa, watched her son become the first Botswanan man to win the championship. As the sprinter stepped into the Stade de France, all he had his sights set on was claiming an Olympic gold to his name. While he missed out on the podium during the 100m finals on August 4, he still had one more chance to shoot his shot in the French capital.

The 21-year-old locked horns with America’s Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek in the 200m finals on August 8. Seeing how Lyles had already clinched a gold in the 100m, he was poised as the favorite to breeze past the finish line this time around too. But the Botswanan left everyone’s jaw on the floor as he blazed past his competitors, rightfully claiming a stunning victory. Unlike the championships last year, Tebogo’s mother wasn’t cheering him on in the stands this time around.

After a brief period of illness, his mother unfortunately passed away on May 19 of this year. However, the sprinter wasn’t with her when it happened. Contesting in the Los Angeles Grand Prix 100m sprint, he was made aware of the news after he crossed the finish line. While Tebogo was understandably devastated by this news, he shifted his focus to training for the Summer Games. In a powerful moment after his win, he paid a heartwarming tribute to his mom by holding his shoe up to the camera.

Letsile Tebogo and his mother had an unbreakable bond. But beyond that, they were both equally passionate about the sport. His mother was a former athlete and played a huge part in nurturing his unbridled talent early on. She would often accompany him to most of his competitions, cheering him on from the stands. After the 21-year-old’s stellar silver medal performance at the championships last year, she had nothing but good things to say. “To say I’m excited is an understatement…Africa is so proud…I’m so proud that he put Africa in the map. It’s Africa before Botswana and so we are thrilled.” However, this wasn’t the only time he addressed Seratiwa in the French capital.

After making it to the 100m semi-finals in Paris, the World Championship silver medalist opened up about how his mother was the reason he chose to focus on sprinting. “It’s all about the dedication, the hard work that you put in and why you have started that journey. So thinking about it, I always think about her but I just try not to let it get into me that much and then just block it out and move forward.” Even though Tebogo eventually found his way to the French capital, his inconsistencies sprung up due to his mother’s health.

The 21-year-old confesses, “I’ve had such a huge blow that affected me deeply, so I’m still trying to get the confidence back into the body. It’s not about the injuries, it is all about my mum.” As heartbreaking as it is to not have his mother watching him from the stands like she usually does, she was with him in spirit. He made sure of that every step of the way.

More accomplishments of the 200m Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo

Letsile Tebogo put Botswana on the map by being the first person ever to clinch a gold medal at an Olympics. But this isn’t it; he did so by setting an African record of 19.46 seconds. This also happens to be the first African medal in the 200m sprint since 1996. He is also the youngest man to win this event since 1956! What a day for the 21-year-old! However, the sprinter has a few more impressive records to his name too.

Athletics – Diamond League – Monaco – Stade Louis II, Monaco – July 12, 2024, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo celebrates after winning the men’s 200m REUTERS/Manon CruzAt the 2022 World Athletics Championships, his stellar time of 9.94 seconds shattered the U20 100m record. But he only had this record for less than a month. He went on to break his own record by setting a personal best of 9.91 seconds. If that isn’t impressive enough, 2023 proved to be an amazing season for him. The sprinter went on to claim a silver in the 100m event and a bronze in the 200m event in Budapest. He then shifted his attention to the Simbine Curro Classic Shoot-Out. He turned heads with an impressive 30.69 seconds on the clock.

Leading up to the Paris Olympics, Tebogo stepped up to contest at the Monaco Diamond League. Despite reeling from his mother’s demise, he wanted to make sure he was ready for the French capital. As soon as the gun went off, the 21-year-old made a beeline to the finish. He blazed past his competitors, one powerful stride at a time. The sprinter had enough time to slow down towards the finish. But his impressive time of 19.87 bagged him a stunning win!