After the boastful release of the second season of the Sprint docuseries, a serious question has entered the stage. Where is Letsile Tebogo’s story in the Netflix show? A sizable chunk of the track and field sports enthusiasts have hyped the issue, and they have reasons to do that. The major reason is that despite winning the Olympic gold at 21, Tebogo has been eclipsed by Noah Lyles’s star power. But in the men’s 200m final event in Paris, the Botswana athlete had the upper hand over his American opponent. Furthermore, Tebogo performed top-notch despite experiencing a personal loss. Don’t these elements make his story marketable? These have been the bone of contention till now. 

However, Letsile Tebogo has also had something to share on the topic. On November 13, he made a serious allegation on the Netflix-hosted show. In his post, he penned, “This is an American show.” Those five words have dealt a severe blow to the ongoing situation. But that’s not all. The 21-year-old athlete has more things to say to point out the difference. No, it is not about the USA vs. the world on the track anymore. Rather, his comments elevate the rivalry between the USA and Botswana. How? 

Recently, Letsile sat with Sean McAlister to discuss his take on his success. In the conversation, he elaborated on his own thoughts on the US and Botswana track rivalry. He started the debate with his remark, “There’s nothing really that makes us special when compared to the United States.” But why? The Olympic champion had his answer ready. “But all I can say is that Botswana will take care of a gem perfectly, more than the US can, because I believe the US has got too many athletes.” That explains a bit of it. His comments would especially find support from the count of faces shown in the second edition of the Sprint docuseries. 

In the series, Tebogo has a limited screen time. In the fourth episode, he makes his major entry. Apart from that, the prime segments of the entire show deal with names like Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, and a few other American athletes. Furthermore, in the Paris Olympics as well, the US team had 595 athletes. In the medal list as well, the contingent topped with 124 medals. On the other hand, in the Paris Olympics, Letsile Tebogo claimed the sole gold medal in the Olympic lifespan of Botswana. The difference is as visible as daylight. That reason led the athlete to add more. 

In the scheduled conversation, Letsile claimed, “So even if there’s a Letsile today, tomorrow there will be the next one [in the USA]. In Botswana, you can’t find the next Letsile, so that’s how I’ve concluded it.” And boy! He “concluded” it stunningly. 

On August 8, Tebogo disrupted every calculation of track and field pundits by winning the top podium in the men’s 200m final. His victory came against the reigning world champion and a serious challenger. Additionally, on August 10, he helped the men’s 4x400m relay squad to snag the silver medal. Because of such tremendous performances, Botswana has seriously taken care of her athlete son well. 

Letsile Tebogo knows how to keep his feet on the ground 

Because of his unforgettable summer on track, Letsile Tebogo has claimed the ANOC Award from the World Athletics. But apart from the top organization in the sport, Tebogo’s country came forward to reward his success. On his day of returning to his home, the Olympian received national honor and a moment to stand alongside his country’s head. And there had been a few more rewards waiting for him. 

To acknowledge his phenomenal success, the Botswana government handed him $15,000. With that, he also received $89,000 and a four-bedroom apartment. Not just that, he also earned $75,000 from the Botswana company Choppies. Coming from a humble background, those awards stood to be huge for him. Would he have received those if he had been a USA athlete? A thorough look at Noah Lyles’s reward would present an answer.

However, Tebogo doesn’t want to extend the battle through verbal exchanges. Rather, he wants to concentrate on his track performance. Tebogo showed his mindset when he said, “I believe silence is the way. Everybody is watching what you are doing.” What do you think about his comments?