At the 200m finals in Stade de France, Letsile Tebogo wasn’t just an underdog—he was a dark horse ready to shock the world. All eyes were on the poised favorite, Noah Lyles, but it was the 21-year-old Botswanan who tore through the finish line, snatching the crown of Olympic Champion in a moment no one saw coming. Since that fateful race in Paris, Tebogo has been on a tear, lighting up the track and leaving his competitors in the dust.

Fresh off his Olympic triumph, Tebogo headed to Lausanne with the confidence of a champion, ready to defend his 200m title. Facing off against Erriyon Knighton and Fred Kerley, the sprinter didn’t just win—he dominated, breezing past his rivals with a jaw-dropping time of 19.64 seconds. It was a continuation of his winning streak, a signal to the world that his Paris victory was no fluke.

Next stop: Silesia. But this time, the race wasn’t as smooth. Tebogo found himself trailing Kenny Bednarek, chasing hard from behind. Yet in the final 10 meters, the Botswanan unleashed his trademark burst of speed, powering through to claim his second Diamond League victory, clocking in at 19.83 seconds. With each race, Tebogo was proving he wasn’t just a one-hit wonder—he was the future of sprinting.

While he opted out of the 200m in Rome, Tebogo shifted gears to the 100m, looking to bounce back from a disappointing sixth-place finish in Paris. As expected, the 21-year-old didn’t just compete—he redeemed himself, showing the world that whether it’s 100m or 200m, he’s always a threat.

With renewed vigor, he earned some much-deserved bragging rights with an impressive time of 9.87 seconds. He was back on the 200m circuit at Zurich. But even though he pulled off a stellar victory, he felt he had so much more to offer. In a post-race interview, the Botswanan revealed what was going through his mind. “I mean, that’s the mentality that I’ve got, I always dig deep for the races and for everything, so, for me, it means a lot. Even though it wasn’t my one-hundred percent, I think that at the finals it is something that you will see.”  What went down in Zurich?

The weather wasn’t as favorable, adding a new difficulty to the track as they lined up for the event. However, Letsile Tebogo seemed undeterred by it all. While Kenny Bednarek and Erriyon Knighton had a quicker reaction time than the Olympian, he continued to push on. Up until the bend, the Americans were in the lead. But the 21-year-old took each down effortlessly, crossing the finish line in a blistering 19.55 seconds. Bednarek trailed after him in 19.57 seconds, while Knighton came in shortly after with 19.79 seconds.

He has won every single meet since Paris. But he believes many will get a glimpse of his peak potential in Brussels. “What was different [between this race and the Olympics] was the curve. Today, I didn’t run the curve I only ran the home straight – but with the Olympic final, I ran throughout the whole race. That is something I will do at the Diamond League final because there is still more inside me.” However, he knows that this will only happen if he’s willing to take risks.

The 21-year-old added, “Without risks, there is no rewards, so I am taking all the risks that I have got.” However, his goal for his upcoming event remains the same. “My goal is always to be as grounded as possible. So I had to stay as grounded as possible and do everything I could do to be able to perform at the remaining Diamond League meets.” We must wait to see if he can end his DL season with a bang.

Letsile Tebogo is fairly close to knocking on Noah Lyles’ door

The Botswanan had already missed the podium in the 100m finals. But he still had his sights set on an Olympic gold before settling in the blocks for the 200m finals at Stade de France. However, he was up against the fan-favorite Noah Lyles. Coming fresh off his 100m victory, the American also had an impressive personal best of 19.31 seconds. The sprinter had also claimed the title of a world champion in the event at the 2023 World Championship in Budapest.

In comparison, Letsile Tebogo’s PB of 19.50 seconds wasn’t looking favorable. But the sprinter was quick off the blocks right as the gun went off. He made sure to hold on to that lead from the beginning. He won his nation’s first Olympic gold in a personal best time of 19.46 seconds. But Lyles trailed after with 19.70 seconds on the clock. Back in the present, the Olympian couldn’t get any closer to the American’s time at Zurich. With how consistent his performance has been throughout, Tebogo could likely get right by him at Brussels. Will you be watching?