Letsile Tebogo is confident about breaking the 200m world record soon. The athlete, who once could not afford training shoes and practiced barefoot, is now at the pinnacle of track and field glory. After winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, Tebogo seems to have kept the fire burning in him. Competing in the Lausanne Diamond League, the Botswana sprinter added yet another feather to his crown. Tebogo ran an impressive time of 19.64s to clinch the gold medal. Having established himself as an authority in the 200m, Tebogo has been teasing about breaking the world record. 

The Botswana sprinter was highly expected to clock less than 19.19s in Paris. However, while that did not happen, Tebogo’s 19.46s in Paris was a notch above the rest. For context, the second-placed Kenny Bednarek was significantly slower, coming in at 19.62s. Speaking with The Inside Lane in the Lausanne Diamond League, Tebogo was asked about when he might break Usain Bolt’s world record. A smiling Tebogo made a bold claim as he said, “It won’t take long for me to break the 200m world record.”

However, he also pointed out that by focusing solely on the world record, the sprinter did not want to invite unwanted pressure on himself. Meanwhile, as Tebogo enjoys unprecedented success and fame at the moment, his early days were marred with pain and hard work. Growing up in a small village in Botswana, Tebogo did not have the money to buy expensive training shoes. In fact, he also wore a pair of old pants that belonged to his uncle. Tebogo also emphasized that using used items was a ‘generational thing’ as otherwise he would have been considered as a ‘privileged child’.

Reminiscing about his early days, Tebogo said in an interview with Pulse Sports, “I used to train without shoes. They were more expensive, and we couldn’t afford that because we lived with our extended family, so it was difficult to get things.” Well, the hard work seems to have paid off for Tebogo. As during the Paris Olympics, he did some ‘crazy’ things that shocked the track and field fraternity. 

Tebogo’s unexpected decision stunned fans after his 200m victory in Paris

Letsile Tebogo’s journey in the Paris Olympics began with heartbreak after his sixth-place finish in the 100-meter dash. However, the events which soon followed changed the course of the ‘games’ for Tebogo. Paris indeed turned out to be Tebogo’s land to shine bright.  Letsile Tebogo was defeated by Lyles in the 100-meter dash, but Tebogo was back in the 200-meter and ran for redemption. Defeating COVID-afflicted Lyles, Tebogo grabbed the gold in the 200-meter final in Paris. But he was still waiting to perform the ‘craziest thing’.

The very next day, the stadium was buzzing with fans as they waited to witness the 4×400 m men’s relay. But track fans were left in shock when they witnessed Tebogo on the tracks. In less than 24 hours after the impeccable 200-meter golden dash, Letsile Tebogo was right there with his teammates for another showdown. Acknowledging the truth, the Botswana sprinter himself stated, “Everybody was shocked that I ran the 4×4 the following day. That’s the only craziest thing I can think of.” 

Despite the fact that Tebogo ran the 4×400 meter relay in less than 24 hours after his 200-meter victory, he made sure to give his best for his nation. Tebogo along with other Botswana sprinters Bayapo Ndori, Busang Kebinatshipi, and Anthony Pesela secured silver. The Botswana men even broke the African record time of 2:54.53. The rising graph that Tebogo’s performance has been following for this season, one can easily predict that great things are waiting for him on the horizon.