Yesterday, in the King Baudouin Stadium, a little piece of Botswana was present to cheer her golden boy. After all, Letsile Tebogo was up to achieve his maiden Diamond League final. But the evening ended with heartbreak as the athlete lost the men’s 200m race to Kenny Bednarek. That loss pierced deeply by stopping Tebogo’s five-match victory streak. Till now, the events seemed to bring a fateful end to the Motswan’s season. Yet it fulfilled a part. 

Letsile’s deceased mother saw her son’s performances as an effort to put Africa on the global athletic map. Yesterday, the ambassadors’ boastful presence in the box exemplified that. Tebogo might have noticed this connection. After the race, he couldn’t control himself from revealing an unknown fact, recalling her mother. 

Letsile Tebogo holds his nature responsible for thoughtlessly undoing things 

Letsile Tebogo is yet to settle with his things, losing his mom Seratiwa in May this year. The reigning Olympic champion has channeled his emotions to the track. But from time to time, he finds her shadow reflecting the unbreakable bond he used to have with her. Yesterday, in the post-race conversation in the mixed zone, Tebogo shared an instance when he couldn’t hold control over his nerves. It came when the world championship medalist had written a post on social media, giving a tribute to Seratiwa after her demise. That emotion-filled moment made him think that everything was under his control. However, in the next minute, Letsile Tebogo felt that deep down inside, he was starkly opposite. He mentioned the situation as “I thought I had the I have the control but I’m just lying to myself.” That complicated thought gave birth to another. 

Witnessing such issues, the Kanye native thought to delete each of the social media applications his mobile phone had. This action could leave him a place to handle his emotions in utmost seclusion. On the other hand, he didn’t have many obligations on social media. To say, “I don’t need to be much active on social media,” Letsile Tebogo didn’t have to invest much time. So the result was he being MIA on every social media platform, despite earning Olympic fame recently. If it stands to be a way out to handle the loss, then the two-time Olympic medalist has another. 

The arch-rival turned guiding light pops up in the gloomy days

In the Rome Diamond League, Letsile Tebogo dismissed a few emotional hiccups while winning the 100m event. After the contest, he laid out, “I had too many mental breakdowns few hours before the race. I tried to keep positive, I tried to keep everything positive.” The synchronization between physical and emotional states had been at the receiving end for him. It came following Seratiwa’s passing away. Still, Letsile does not immerse himself fully in the depth of the negative emotions now. He does not succumb to his personal loss. This change became possible after Fred Kerley entered his story. 

In an off-court conversation, Tebogo clapped back at the bonding he and Kerley kept between them. The most prominent part of it was present when he lost his mother. As per the world relay champion, “Fred was there for me during my hard times. I remember he texted me and when I don’t respond, he’ll just get mad at me.” Those interactions have contributed to bridging the gap between the two sprinters. Now Tebogo calls Kerley as his ‘elder brother.’ His emotional state feels secure by this bonding. So it could be said that Letsile Tebogo is slowly moving toward healing.