'Energised' Tebogo looking to close season with Diamond League bang
Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo says he feels
"energised" as he seeks to bring the curtain down on his breakthrough
season with victory in the Diamond League finals in Brussels on Saturday.
The Botswana sprinter bounced back from the death of
his mother in May to claim a stunning gold at the Paris Games ahead of, amongst
others, Covid-hit favourite Noah Lyles.
He won in an African record of 19.46 seconds, a time
that took him to fifth on the all-time list. Tebogo also became the first
African to win the Olympic 200 metres.
He had announced himself on the global stage with a
100m silver and 200m bronze at the 2023 world championships in Budapest.
Since the Olympics in the French capital, the
21-year-old has won the 200m at Diamond League events in Lausanne, Silesia,
Rome and Zurich, the latter in an outstanding 19.55sec in wet and cold
conditions.
Tebogo insisted at a pre-finals press conference on
Thursday that he was just one of a raft of new faces jostling for prominence in
building a new post-Usain Bolt era.
"People always have their own opinions about
how you look at one particular person," Tebogo said.
"For me, I believe there's a new generation
coming up.
"I believe we've passed that (Bolt) era but we
didn't yet surpass his goals in track and field."
Bolt's former Jamaican teammate Yohan Blake holds
the stadium record of 19.26sec in Brussels, set in 2011, something Tebogo said
could be in danger.
"Looking at what I did in Zurich, no one
thought that 19.5 was possible looking at the weather conditions," he
said.
"I believe looking at the competition also, the
stadium record is possible, but I don't want to put myself under that pressure
of chasing that stadium record.
"If it comes, then it comes. All I can say is I
feel fresh after all the runs I've been through and feel more energised than
anything else."
The 200m showdown at the two-day finals, which draw
a close to the elite 14-meet Diamond League circuit, also features Liberia's
Joseph Fahnbulleh, alongside a trio of strong Americans in Kenny Bednarek,
Erriyon Knighton and Fred Kerley.
"It's two Africans against the rest of the
world," maintained Tebogo, who also finished sixth in the 100m final in
Paris in 9.86sec. "I believe it's going to be a good race!
"It's a good thing to end the season with that
winning streak, with that Olympic gold and Diamond League trophy."
Tebogo returned to a rapturous welcome in Gaborone
after his Paris gold, Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi greeting the
sprinter and other Olympic athletes after he had declared an impromptu half-day
holiday.
"It was a proud moment seeing the thousands of
people waiting for me at the stadium," he said.
"It was amazing for me," added the
sprinter whose mother Seratiwa died suddenly in May whilst Tebogo was away in
the United States.
Having also been part of Botswana's 4x400m relay
squad that won a thrilling silver in Paris, Tebogo acknowledged that a proper
tilt as a one-lap runner is on the horizon.
"I have to get the job done in the 100m and
then move up to the 400," Tebogo said, adding that he might take one
season focused on the 400m after the 2025 world championships in Tokyo.
"My favourite event is the 200m because it's
not as technical as the 100m -- there's a lot of work and focus on it and you
cannot correct anything along the way.
"With the 200m, you can fix mistakes and push
your body to its maximum limits."
Want to send us a story? SMS to 25170 or WhatsApp 0743570000 or Submit on Citizen Digital or email wananchi@royalmedia.co.ke
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a Comment