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Botswana sprinter Letsile Tebogo says the care and attention he gets in Botswana encourages him to fulfill his potential.
Reigning Paris Olympics 200m champion Letsile Tebogo appreciates the peace he is offered in his home country Botswana.
Tebogo points to the care and attention he is given in Botswana where, instead of being one of many world-class sprinters, his talent is seen as unique, with those around him eager to see him fulfil his potential.
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08:00 - 15.11.2024
'l let the legs do the talking' - Letsile Tebogo reveals how he is quietly taking the world by storm
He won the first-ever Olympic gold medal for Botswana with victory in 200m
"There’s nothing really that makes us special when compared to the United States,” Tebogo, who in 2021 he became the first Botswana athlete to claim the 100m title at any championships level, told Olympics.com.
"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. So even if there’s a Letsile today, tomorrow there will be the next one. In Botswana you can’t find the next Letsile, so that’s how I’ve concluded it,” Tebogo, who has held the world U20 record in the 100m since April 2022 added.
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15:09 - 16.11.2024
'She was there to guide me'- Letsile Tebogo on how he felt late mother's presence in men's 200m final at Paris Olympics
Letsile Tebogo, inspired by his late mother, made history as the first African to win Olympic 200m gold, setting an African record and continuing his dominance in the Diamond League.
Even with the emergence of social media and a public that loves the idea of vocal sporting rivalries, Tebogo does not fit easily into the mould many imagine of a modern-day athletics star.
He has found understanding at home where he believes the expectations placed on him differ from other nations where work on the track is seen as only part of a track & field athlete’s role.
“It’s different in every country. When you get to my country, they understand, they know and they feel when to just let me be. Then in other countries, they want to ‘cringe’ or get that piece of you from everything you do. So it’s all different in other countries,” he pointed out.
Perhaps that is one of the reasons that Tebogo feels so comfortable training at home in Botswana, compared to other sprinters who have made their way to systems in the likes of the United States or Jamaica to hone their craft.
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