'My main goal is to make the finals at the Olympics' - Botswana sprint star Tebogo Letsile
The Motswana clocked a 400m personal best of 44.29 on Monday and in February he set a world best of 30.69 seconds over the unofficial 300m distance at the Simbine Curro Classic Shoot-Out, breaking Wayde van Niekerk’s global mark of 30.81.
Botswana sprint star Tebogo Letsile. Picture: Backsports/Cecilia van Bers/ Instagram.
JOHANNESBURG – Botswana sprint star Tebogo Letsile continues to cruise to the finish line as he stole the show at the second leg of the ASA Athletics Grand Prix series which took place on Monda at Tuks Stadium in Pretoria.
The Motswana clocked a 400m personal best of 44.29 on Monday and in February he set a world best of 30.69 seconds over the unofficial 300m distance at the Simbine Curro Classic Shoot-Out, breaking Wayde van Niekerk’s global mark of 30.81.
Talking to Eyewitness News about his hopes for the rest of the season the athlete says he’s focused on Paris.
“The main goal to achieve here is just to make it to the final of the Olympics this is the first goal we don’t want pressure that we won’t be able to handle.”
The 20-year-old earned medals in the 100m (silver) and 200m (bronze) events at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. In these events, he will face USA sprinter and reigning world champion Noah Lyles.
“What I've learned is that giving up won’t speed up the process rather it will take you back to zero,” said Letsile.
Botswana's sprint star smashed his own Under-20 world record clocking 9.91 in the 100m on his way to winning gold at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia.
“For athletes mental health is a very serious aspect of competing that needs to be taken care of, if you don’t you will suffer as the season progresses towards the Olympics.”
Letsile tells Eyewitness News that out of all his accomplishments, his career highlight is the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, he became the first athlete from Botswana to win gold in the 100m on a global stage and went on to scoop up a silver in the 200m.
“Kenya 2021 when I bagged my first gold medal for the country and being strong enough to get the second medal for the country was amazing.”
The sprinter who is expected to be one of the names to watch at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games says he once thought he would be a soccer star but he kept being benched and that’s when he decided to put more effort into athletics.
“Athletics was just a hobby for me my love was more football until 2019 that’s when I decided to try and take the athletic route and my family backed me up on that one cause they have been always supportive.”
The Olympic Games Paris 2024 will take place in France from 26 July to 11 August.