"Africa is no longer known for the long-distance races"- Letsile Tebogo makes bold claim about his impact on global stage and creating transformation

The Olympic Games-Paris 2024 - Source: Getty
Letsile Tebogo during the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. (Photo via Getty Images)

Letsile Tebogo recently opened up about his impact on transforming the African continent into a sprinting hub. The African athletes, including Eliud Kipchoge, Beatrice Chebet, and Tigst Assefa, to name a few, have shown the dominance of the subcontinent in long-distance races.

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However, with the emergence of new generation athletes, including Tebogo, the continent is witnessing a shift in the dominance from long to short distances. Tebogo rose to fame last year after clinching a gold medal in the 200m at the Paris Games. He achieved this feat while competing against heavy American favorites Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek. He clocked a striking 19.46 seconds to bag the first-ever Olympic gold medal for Botswana.

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In honor of this historic breakthrough triumph, a holiday was declared in the country on August 9. The World Athletics organization recognized his achievements and is producing a documentary, 'Built For Speed' on him. In the teaser of the show, Tebogo explained the importance of sports in his life. He further stated that his Olympic gold medal is now changing the perspective of Africans towards athletics, choosing sprints over long-distance running.

"Without sports in my life, I don't even want to think where I will be," tebogo said. "The Olympic gold, it means a lot to the African continent, because Africa is no longer known for the long distance races. It's only known for the short sprints now."
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The documentary will be released on September 3, 2025, ahead of the World Athletics Championships, which is scheduled from September 13 to 21, at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan.

Letsile Tebogo opens up about shattering American and Jamaican dominance in the sprinting event at the Paris Olympics

Letsile Tebogo of Team Botswana at the Olympic Games in Paris, France. (Photo by Getty Images)
Letsile Tebogo of Team Botswana at the Olympic Games in Paris, France. (Photo by Getty Images)

Letsile Tebogo won the 200m at the Paris Games by defeating Noah Lyles and Kenny Bednarek, who posted 19.62 and 19.70 seconds, respectively. In an interview with Al Jazeera, when asked about defeating the African and Jamaican dominance at the Games, he said:

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"That’s always been my goal. To snap their dominance. It was sad to see only two nations rule the sport for decades. I wanted to make a breakthrough for African athletes. I aspired to be the one to make it happen and then take in the world’s response. And that reaction has been heartwarming."
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He further revealed his dream of watching a sprinting lineup filled with African athletes at the Olympics.

"Africans are stepping up and we see an increased number of African athletes in global competitions. I dream of an all-African lineup at the Olympics one day."

At the same Games, Letsile Tebogo also led the team to win a silver medal in the 4x400m relay race.

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Edited by Janhavi Shinde
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