Remember Letsile Tebogo? Yes, I’m talking about the 21-year-old track and field prodigy from Botswana who made headlines at the Paris Olympics. He secured his country’s first Olympic gold medal in the men’s 200m finals, keeping Team USA’s Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles behind. Tebogo also anchored Botswana’s 4x400m relay team to a silver medal, and it was a successful Olympic campaign for the youngster, who has a bright future ahead in the sport.

However, Tebogo hasn’t let the spotlight of a celebrity take him away from track and field, as he’s already focused on the upcoming season. Indeed, he knows the benchmark he has set in 2024 and obviously wants to carry it on to 2025. So, he has issued a bold statement on social media, which is also a direct warning to his rivals out there, as he’s looking forward to something better in the next season.

Letsile Tebogo aiming towards a bigger track and field future

Many are satisfied with a single Olympic gold medal in their athletic career. Indeed, it’s the highest of honors that one athlete can achieve in their tenure in the professional scene. However, Letsile Tebogo won’t be stopping with just a single gleaming gold medal. He was a hot prospect coming into 2024 as he was considered Noah Lyles’ rival, and he lived up to his hype, securing many accolades throughout the entire season, and even was successful in beating the American on the track.

The 2025 campaign will bring many challenges, and it looks like Tebogo is already ready for it. Taking to his official X profile, the Botswana native left a stern remark for his rivals, stating, “Go to war with your limits every damn day.” Tebogo is only 21 years old, and he has many more years to continue his career as a professional track and field athlete. But he believes in the process of climbing the stairs one by one and not rushing the growth in his athletic abilities.

Indeed, the Botswana runner is trying to surpass his own limits, just like he did back in the 2024 season. But how good was his campaign? Starting from the very first meet he entered, which was the ASA Grand Prix Tour. Do you remember what he did? He broke the 300m world record by running 30.69. That was a statement, because, in the next two races, in the 200m and 400m, he also set the world lead with a time of 19.94 and 44.29. From then on, every time he was on the grid, he consistently set a benchmark for the rest of the athletes.

The whole track and field community was interested in how far he could push, but tragically, he faced the sorrow of his mother, Seratiwa, passing away in the midseason. Indeed, it had a big impact on Tebogo emotionally, but it also gave him the motivation required to get that gleaming Olympic gold for his mother, who had always supported him in his career. And what did he do? Not one, but he won two Olympic medals in Paris and even ran a PB of 19.46 seconds in the 200m finals.

But what about his rivals? Tebogo is a versatile athlete and runs in 100m, 200m, and 400m often. However, considering the 100m and the 200m, his main rival for the 2025 season will still remain Lyles, but why? Let’s analyze!

Noah Lyles going toe-to-toe with the Botswana athlete

The new track and field fans might think the rivalry between Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo started in Paris, but it goes as early as the 2023 season. Back in the 2023 London Diamond League, all praise was for the American, as he had won the 200-meter World Championship title from Eugene in 2022. So, when he shared the track with Tebogo, he prevailed over him with a dominant run. Indeed, Lyles secured two World Championship titles in the 100m and 200m in 2023, establishing himself as a formidable competitor.

However, in the 200m, he always had Tebogo in his rearview mirror, chasing him to give him a competition. And Paris proved how mature the Botswana runner has become in track and field. As we approach the 2025 season, Lyles continues to hold the 100m and 200m World Championship titles, and the fans are eagerly anticipating the action that will unfold at the Tokyo World Championships.