When Letsile Tebogo crossed the finish line to clinch the 200m Olympic gold in Paris 2024, he couldn’t contain his excitement and slapped his chest in celebration. The crowd at Stade de France went wild as Tebogo, the rising star from Botswana, set a new African record with a blazing 19.46 seconds on August 8. He also dashed Noah Lyles’ hopes of a sprint double. But it looks like Letsile is still trying to come to terms with the surprising result. However, it seems that the legendary sprinter Lyles is still grappling with the outcome.

Most recently on the “Ready Set Go” YouTube channel, Justin Gatlin, alongside Rodney Green, shared insights into Letsile Tebogo’s recent performances in the Zurich Diamond League. Gatlin highlighted Tebogo’s race execution, stating, “If you watched his last couple of 200s, he didn’t run; he didn’t execute a solid race. His time came out to be superior, but coming off the turn in his last couple of races he ran, he wasn’t even in first.”

Despite this, Tebogo’s time at the Paris Olympics ranks as the ninth fastest in history, making him the fifth fastest man ever over the distance, but Zurich DL’s result seems unsatisfactory. But at the same time, he also cruised to an impressive 19.64 to win at the Lausanne Diamond League.

Gatlin went on to further analyze Tebogo’s racing style, adding, “In this race, if you watch it, he was in third place, and he checked, he saw where everybody was, he scoped the scene, and then hit the boosters… He walked everybody down enough to get the W. So to me, it’s like, are you fatigued, are you saving yourself, or are you just playing around? Either way, it’s very impressive across the board in any of those categories. To be able to go out there and come off the turn with 100 to go and run 19.55—and you’re in third place? To go back to get first place? That means your speed is superior.”

Since 2023, the 21-year-old has been on fire. However, at the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday (5 September). Despite the chilly conditions, Tebogo won the race with a time of 19.55 seconds, edging out Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek, who set a personal best of 19.57, while compatriot Erriyon Knighton took third in 19.79s. But at the same time, this sprinter is compared with the Usain bolt. And for this, he is not happy.

Letsile Tebogo doesn’t want to put the cart before the horse in Bolt comparisons

Letsile Tebogo is not interested in comparisons between himself, or the current generation of sprinters, and Jamaican legend Usain Bolt. Tebogo, who is seen as a rising star with the potential to have a top-tier career, believes that such comparisons are premature. Despite being tipped as one of the athletes who might one day match or surpass Bolt’s achievements, the 21-year-old remains grounded, acknowledging that today’s sprinters still have a long way to go before reaching Bolt’s legendary status.

Tebogo stated, “People will always have their own opinion… but I believe we are at an era where there is a new generation coming up,” adding that while they haven’t surpassed Bolt’s accomplishments, a new era is emerging in sprinting.

He has secured four victories in the Diamond League, winning the 200m in Lausanne, Silesia, and Zurich, and dominating the 100m in Rome. Despite his impressive performances, with just one Olympic gold and a world silver and bronze, Tebogo knows he still has a long way to go before approaching Bolt’s legacy, which includes 11 world titles and world records in both the 100m and 200m.