“I don’t think it will take long for me to break the 200m world record—it’s just about 10 meters away from me,” declares Letsile Tebogo, radiating confidence as he rides an unstoppable wave of success. Fresh off his Paris Olympics triumph, the Botswanan sprinter has been on a relentless winning streak, dominating the tracks at both the Lausanne and Silesian Diamond League events. Now, with his sights set on shattering Usain Bolt’s legendary 200m record, Tebogo is already sketching out his master plan for the off-season.

But Tebogo’s ambitions go beyond merely breaking records; he’s thinking bigger, taking a page straight from Usain Bolt’s playbook. What’s next on the horizon for this far-sighted athlete isn’t a new racing tactic or a tweak in technique. Instead, Tebogo is planning a bold, unconventional move—one that most athletes wouldn’t dare attempt. He’s ready to redefine his legacy, much like Bolt did, by stepping outside the conventional bounds of the sport. As Tebogo’s journey unfolds, the world watches, eager to see how he will make his mark in a way no one expects.

Letsile Tebogo opens up on incorporating junk into his diet

Speaking to Citius Mag after the Lausanne Diamond League, Letsile Tebogo admitted that he is planning to gain a few kilos, towards his preparation for the next competitive season. He remarked, “The body still feels a little bit rusty, but at the end of the day, you have to keep it running and rolling because, when you close the season, that is when you start thinking about gaining weight.” Although Tebogo had been restricting himself to a stern diet even after Paris, he confessed that he kept resorting back to junk food occasionally.

“I would just sneak out and get something unhealthy to eat so that the body would be happy because those things taste better to me,” he admitted that watching others eat whatever they could was hard for him. But as the season is drawing to a close soon, the plan is to intentionally put on weight. He is still not planning to go overboard. As he says “Not too much weight, about five kgs more, so that I can learn to carry the body throughout it all.”

Letsile Tebogo’s affinity for junk food rivals that of Usain Bolt, who famously indulged in fast food during his record-breaking run at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In a legendary tale of excess, Bolt reportedly consumed 1,000 McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets over the course of the games—100 pieces a day for 10 consecutive days. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all fueled by this crispy indulgence. Reflecting on his snacking habits with GQ Sports, Bolt admitted, “Once I start snacking, I can’t stop. It’ll start with one thing, then add up to, like, four or five. Get barbecue Lay’s in front of me, and it’s over.”

Tebogo shares a similar weakness for junk food. His mother once mentioned his fondness for unhealthy snacks, even as she described his usual diet, which is a stark contrast to the high-tech, carefully calibrated nutrition plans many athletes follow. Tebogo’s diet primarily consists of staple organic foods grown in his native Botswana, a nod to tradition rather than technology. Despite his unorthodox approach, whatever he’s doing seems to be working, propelling him to victory after victory. But as Tebogo eyes Usain Bolt’s record, the question looms: Can his unconventional fuel keep him running faster than the lightning bolt himself?

Tebogo sees his record-breaking pace coming in the future

After his 19.83s win in Poland, where he ran as part of the Silesia Diamond League, Tebogo confessed that his momentum was not up to the mark. Distressed by a slow start, he had to accelerate midway to eventually clinch the lead in the final few meters. However, post the race, he voiced a different take on his initial claims.

He agreed that to top Bolt’s timings, “It’s going to take a lot of courage for me to do that.” While he agreed that there might be a delay, he sure sees it coming, “I think a little bit rest up before we could attempt it again. So it’s going to take a while. Maybe, when the body feels good, when the weather is perfect at Brussels, that’s when we’ll see how the time is going to be.” 

The 21-year-old said that he could not put a date on when that would happen. For it amounts to additional pressure on his shoulders. However, he does not scratch out the possibility of it happening soon. Do you think he will be able to achieve that? Share your thoughts with us!

Hang on! Before you go, don’t miss this week’s Think Tank episode on EssentiallySports. Ensure to catch up on Maddison Skinner’s coach, one of America’s top volleyball talents, sharing insights into his star student.