Letsile Tebogo stepped on to the track alongside his teammates, bearing the weight of a nation and a continent on his shoulders. Together with the men’s 4x400m relay team, he turned belief into performance, lifted the hopes of a nation, and turned an Olympic bronze from Tokyo in 2021 into gold at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. A journey of patience and pride, and a nation lifted.
Now, with days to go, Botswana prepares to host the World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 where the host nation will be on the hunt for further honours.
“Once we get into the team, it’s only one personality,” said Olympic 200m champion Tebogo. “The teamwork that we have, the mentality that we have when we are going into the 4x400m – now it’s teamwork. We’re doing all this for the country, for everybody who’s watching and in support of Botswana.
“It’s something that I’ll always look back on and cherish.”
Tebogo’s season had been impacted by injury, but when he got to Tokyo he was determined to still compete in all three events – the 100m, the 200m and the 4x400m.
And forming part of the team that claimed Africa’s first world 4x400m title was the perfect end to the championships for the 22-year-old, who rebounded after being disqualified for a false start in the 100m final and missing out on a 200m medal by one place, despite clocking 19.65.
“I’m forever grateful for my teammates, for the confidence that they gave me,” he said in an interview.
“They boosted me into stepping up because it was just more of a horrible season for me. The injuries that we had during that season, we had too many starts and stops.
“After what happened in the 100m, in the 200m where you know you had true potential to bring up a medal and it didn’t happen, the confidence went downhill, but they managed to pull it back up the hill again.”
Racing in the pouring rain Tebogo ran the second leg in the 4x400m final, taking over from Lee Bhekempilo Eppie and running a strong lap before handing the baton to Bayapo Ndori. In a thrilling finish, individual 400m champion Collen Kebinatshipi chased down USA’s 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin and edged ahead in the closing stages to get gold on the line.
“I had to lock in differently to know that this is not my individual event – I am carrying three other people’s hopes with me. So, why not? I shouldn’t disappoint them. No matter how tired I am, no matter what’s going through my mind,” added Tebogo.
“I just stepped up – it was the team that pushed me through.”
Tebogo also formed part of the Botswana 4x400m teams that clinched Olympic silver in Paris in 2024 and won at the World Athletics Relays in Nassau, The Bahamas, that same year.
The next edition of the World Athletics Relays heads to his home soil on 2-3 May.
Reflecting on his nation’s success, the World Athletics Kids’ Athletics ambassador added: “It means a lot because they know we are inspiring a lot of kids in Botswana. Even the elderly trying to exercise, trying to keep healthy. That’s the most important thing about Botswana.
“We are going to continue to dominate the 4x400m for as long as possible.”
Interview by Marta Gorczyńska for World Athletics
