Just under one month after breaking Frankie Fredericks long standing African fastest time [200m], Letsile Tebogo of Botswana has also become the first African to grab a medal in the men’s 100m dash at the World Athletics Championships event.
School-boy, as he is affectionately called, Tebogo finished second in the men’s 100m final in 9.98 seconds behind Noah Lyles who won the ultimate in a world lead time of 9.83 seconds.
The year 2023 is fast proven to be Tebogo’s year having achieved back-to-back successes on the world stage:
For instance, the Batswana sprint sensation [Tebogo] became the fastest African sprinter of all-time in the history of the men’s 200m on Sunday, July 23 having ran 19.50 seconds to finish second, behind Noah Lyles [19.47] at the 2023 London Diamond League, beating Frankie Fredericks’ 19.68 seconds on August 1, 1996.
Then on August 1, the Botswanan clocked 9.91 seconds to improve the junior world record of 9.94 seconds he set in the heats of the senior world championships.
Tebogo made a blistering start at Cali’s Pascual Guerrero Stadium and coasted through the final 20 metres, turning to gesticulate at silver medallist Bouwahjgie Nkrumie of Jamaica with a huge smile on his face as he cruised to the line.
As if that’s not enough, Tebogo on Sunday [August 20] clocked an astonishing 9.98 seconds in the men’s 100m final in Budapest to clinch silver medal – the first ever by an African sprinter since the World Athletics Championships was inaugurated in 1983.
The School-boy will be hoping to win another medal in the 200m, and may sign off the year in a grand style should he grab a medal at the Wanda Diamond League final in Eugene, Oregon on September 17, 2023.
By James K. Attaglo Wilson