- From rain-soaked Tokyo to relay glory, 2025 became the season Collen Kebinatshipi claimed his place at the centre of Botswana sport
GAZETTE REPORTER
The defining image of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 was a slender figure gliding through sheets of rain, unbothered by the chaos around him. At just 21, Collen Kebinatshipi mastered the men’s 400m final to win world gold in 43.53 seconds – a national record, the quickest time posted anywhere this season, and a breakthrough that delivered Botswana its first ever men’s world championship title.
On a night built for survival as much as speed, Kebinatshipi’s judgement set him apart. While others strained against the conditions, he ran with clarity and control, holding off the late challenge of Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards to reach the line with authority. It was not simply a fast run; it was a statement of readiness.
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New Order Race
This was an unusually open global final. The established hierarchy had collapsed before the race was even run. None of the athletes from the 2023 world final were present, and injuries and qualification setbacks had removed Olympic champion Quincy Hall, Britain’s Matt Hudson-Smith and Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga from contention.
Botswana seized the moment. Three athletes lined up in the final, briefly raising the prospect of an unprecedented medal sweep. While that ambition narrowed to two podium places, Bayapo Ndori’s bronze medal in a season’s best 44.20 reinforced the country’s emergence as a genuine 400m force rather than a one-athlete story.
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Beyond The Individual
Kebinatshipi’s ascent did not begin in Tokyo. His medal collection had already been built through the 4x400m relay, including Olympic silver in Paris, where he proved himself a dependable performer under pressure. Missing the individual Olympic final by one place last year became a defining near-miss rather than a setback.
That resilience was evident again in Tokyo. After conquering the individual event, Kebinatshipi returned to play a decisive role in Botswana’s men’s 4x400m victory, helping secure another gold medal and completing a rare championship double.
Athlete Of Year
World champion, national record holder, relay gold medallist and season leader: few athletes anywhere assembled a résumé as complete in 2025. Kebinatshipi did not deliver a single standout race; he shaped an entire championship and, by extension, an entire year. For consistency, historic impact and global excellence, this was unmistakably the Year of Kebinatshipi – and why he stands as the Botswana Gazette Athlete of the Year.