Brilliant Tebogo Outshines Big Names at Golden Grand Prix

  • Returns to finish first in the 200m race after coming second in the 100m
  • Botswana sensation ranked among the biggest prize winners in the Gabs meet
  • Next is Budapest for the World Championships, then Paris Olympics

GAZETTE REPORTER

 

Botswana’s most celebrated sprinter Letsile Tebogo proved to be the best emerging short sprint athlete following his remarkable performance at the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix that was held in Gaborone last Saturday.

Stunning 200m finish

Tebogo competed in both 100m and 200m alongside world renowned stars Andre De Grasse, Jerome Blake, Rodney Brendon (Canada), Marvin Bracy, Kenny Bednarek (USA) and Ferdinand Omanyala (Kenya), among others, finishing 2nd in the 100m where he matched his current Personal Best (PB) of 9.91 behind Kenya’s Omanyala, who clocked 9.78 seconds to win the title.

The Kanye-born sensation redeemed himself in the 200m with a stunning 19.87 seconds PB and World Lead (WL) to win gold ahead of Aaron Brown of Canada, who clocked 20.00 seconds and settled for silver.

Tebogo recorded the fastest times this year since his season opener in the USA.

Focused

Tebogo told Gazette Sports afterwards that he was happy with his performance, more so that he was not under any pressure despite being pitted against the best in the world. “I am very happy with my performance and have made great progress,” he said.

“I usually gauge my performance against the best opponents because it shows I am progressing well. What I need more than anything is to remain focused in order to better my performance ahead of upcoming international events.”

Budapest, then Paris

He noted that he will also be focusing on his transition from junior competitions to elite competitions this year and will therefore need to enter various competitions frequently.

“I will have to adapt to the elite setup but there is no pressure on my side because I am still young,” he added.

“Even so, I am wary of the threat that other athletes are posing ahead of the World Championships in Budapest (Hungary) in August and the Paris Olympics next year. These call for hard work, which I will put in because I intend to represent my country well.”

Cash prize

The 20-year-old walked away with more than P85 000 in appearance and competition fees for the meet on Saturday, making him one of the big winners at the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix.

Each athlete who participated in the main events (track and field) walked away with at least P20000.