Letsile Tebogo (Tswana pronunciation: [lɪt͡silɛ tɛbʊχo]; born 7 June 2003)[3] is a sprinter from Botswana. He won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the 200 metres event, with his win earning the first-ever Olympic gold medal for Botswana. He also won the silver medal at the 2023 World Championships in the 100 m and followed it up with a bronze medal in the 200 m five days later.[4]
.jpg) Tebogo at the 2023 World Athletics Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | School-boy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Botswana | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 7 June 2003 Kanye, Botswana[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 77 kg (170 lb)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Botswana | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event | Sprints | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Nike | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal bests | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tebogo won in the 100 metres and placed second in the 200 metres at both the 2021 and 2022 World Athletics Under-20 Championships. In 2021, he became the first Botswana athlete to claim the 100m title at any World Championships level. He is the 200m 2022 African champion, becoming the youngest winner of this title in competition history. He broke the 300m world best, running a time of 30.69 seconds on February 17, 2024 at altitude in Pretoria, South Africa.[5]
Tebogo has held the world U20 record in the 100m since April 2022. He was the first man from Botswana to break the 10-second barrier.
Career
editLetsile Tebogo gained his first international experience at the age of 17 at the 2021 World Athletics Relays held in May in Chorzów, Poland.[3] In August, he competed at the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, winning the 100 metres and finishing second in the 200 metres.[3]
On 19 February 2022, the 18-year-old set a new national record in the 100m at the Botswana Athletics Championships with a time of 10.08 seconds.[6] Two months later, he became the first man from Botswana to break the 10-second barrier at the event as he clocked a time of 9.96 seconds at the Gaborone International Meet, setting a new world under-20 record.[7] On 15 July, he further improved his record in his debut race at the World Athletics Championships held in Eugene, Oregon, with a time of 9.94 seconds. The following month, he broke his own record again, clocking a 9.91 second performance in the final of the World U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia.[8][9] At the end of the race he celebrated early, drawing comparisons to 100m and 200m world records holder Usain Bolt.[10]
On 8 August 2024, Tebogo won the 200m final at the Paris Olympics, earning the first-ever gold medal for Botswana with a time of 19.46s.[3][11] His victory led to a holiday being declared in Botswana to celebrate his feat on the afternoon of 9 August.[12] The government of Botswana also awarded him two houses in recognition of his victory.[13]
Achievements
editPersonal bests
edit| Distance | Time (s) | Wind | Location | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 meters | 9.86 | +1.0 m/s | Paris, France | August 4, 2024 | NR |
| 200 meters | 19.46 | Paris, France | August 8, 2024 | NR, AR | |
| 300 meters | 30.69 | Pretoria, South Africa | February 17, 2024 | WB | |
| 400 meters | 44.29 | Pretoria, South Africa | March 18, 2024 | ||
| Youth and junior achievements | |||||
| 100 meters | 9.91 | +0.8 m/s | Cali, Colombia | August 2, 2022 | World under-20 record |
| 200 meters | 19.96 | -1.0 m/s | Cali, Colombia | August 4, 2022 | AU20R |
International competitions
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | World Relays | Chorzów, Poland | 13th (h) | 4 × 100 m relay | 39.55 | SB |
| World U20 Championships | Nairobi, Kenya | 1st | 100 m | 10.19 | ||
| 2nd | 200 m | 20.38 | ||||
| 2022 | African Championships | Saint Pierre, Mauritius | 1st | 200 m | 20.26 | |
| – (f) | 4 × 100 m relay | DQ | ||||
| World Championships | Eugene, OR, United States | 16th (sf) | 100 m | 10.17 | (h: WU20R NR [note 1]) | |
| World U20 Championships | Cali, Colombia | 1st | 100 m | 9.91 | CR WU20R NR | |
| 2nd | 200 m | 19.96 | CR | |||
| 2023 | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 2nd | 100 m | 9.88 | NR |
| 3rd | 200 m | 19.81 | ||||
| 2024 | World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 2:59.11 | |
| Olympic Games | Paris, France | 6th | 100 m | 9.86 | NR | |
| 1st | 200 m | 19.46 | AR | |||
| 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 2:54.53 | AR |
Circuit wins and titles
edit- 2023: Lausanne Athletissima (200 m)
- 2024: Monaco Herculis (200 m), Lausanne Athletissima (200 m), Kamila Skolimowska Memorial (200 m), Rome Golden Gala (100 m), Zürich Weltklasse (200 m)
- 2023: Botswana Golden Grand Prix (200 m)
- 2024: Grand Prix Lombardia Brescia (200 m)
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ In the heats Tebogo set a world under-20 and national record with a time of 9.94 seconds.
References
edit- ^ a b "TEBOGO Letsile". Paris 2024 Olympics. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "Tilastopaja Oy Track and field statistics | Letsile Tebogo". Tilastopaja.eu. Archived from the original on 28 March 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Letsile TEBOGO – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "USA's Noah Lyles wins 100m world title as Hughes seals bronze for GB". The Guardian. The Associated Press. 20 August 2023. Archived from the original on 20 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ "Tebogo breaks world 300m best with 30.69 in Pretoria | REPORT | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ Kolantsho, Calistus (21 February 2022). "Letsile sets new 100m record". Mmegi Online. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ "World U20 sprint records fall as Knighton runs 19.49 and Tebogo clocks 9.96". World Athletics. 30 April 2022. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Tebogo runs 9.91 world U20 record to claim 100m crown in Cali". World Athletics. 3 August 2022. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- ^ "Spotlight on Rising Stars: Kerrica Hill and Letsile Tebogo". World Athletics. 10 November 2022. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ "Tebogo draws Bolt comparisons after showboating to junior record". Reuters. 3 August 2022. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- ^ "Tebogo wins stunning 200m as Covid-hit Lyles denied". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ "Botswana's people get the afternoon off work to celebrate a first gold at the Olympics". Associated Press. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
- ^ "Flags and dancing as Botswana welcomes home Olympic gold". France 24. 13 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
