Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo is set to thrill crowds in Gaborone this Saturday as he competes in the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting.
The 200m event, a distance where Tebogo claimed Olympic gold last year, marks his season debut at home.
Having raced primarily in the 400m this year, including a standout 45.26 performance in Melbourne last month, Tebogo returns to his preferred event, ready to dazzle his fans.
The 2023 competition at this venue saw Tebogo, then only 19, set a meeting record of 19.87. Months later, he shattered that mark, clocking 19.50 and earning world bronze in Budapest.
2024 was the year Tebogo solidified his superstar status. He seized Olympic gold with an African record of 19.46 and played a pivotal role in Botswana’s relay triumph, splitting an astounding 43.04 in the 4x400m.
Although this of what promises to be a demanding season culminating in the World Championships in Tokyo, Tebogo aims to secure a win against a competitive field that includes Olympic relay teammate Collen Kebinatshipi, South Africa’s Luxolo Adams (19.82 PB), and Jamaica’s Tyquendo Tracey.
Other events at the meet promise equally high stakes. The men’s 100m features South Africa’s Akani Simbine and Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala in a showdown between Africa’s sprinting stars.
Field events are also packed with global talent, including men’s shot put contender Leonardo Fabbri, women’s javelin leader Jo-Ane Van Dyk, and newly crowned world indoor champion Claire Bryant in the long jump.
Botswana’s home crowd will eagerly watch Tebogo and fellow stars like Bayapo Ndori, who competes in the men’s 400m, and Tshepiso Masalela, aiming for an 800m victory after breaking a national record last week.
