Letsile Tebogo has always said an Olympic medal would not just be for Botswana but the continent of Africa and he duly delivered on Thursday by becoming the first African to be crowned 200m Olympic champion.
The 21-year-old produced a stunning run in Paris to leave pre-race favourite Noah Lyles trailing in third.
In fact, Tebogo is only the second athlete from Africa to even win a medal in the 200m.
Namibian Frankie Fredericks had blazed the way for Tebogo by winning the second of his two silvers in Atlanta in 1996.
Tebogo set an African record of 19.46sec in the Stade de France to put the cherry on the cake.
“Africans were known for the long distance, marathon, and quarter mile,” Tebogo told NBC earlier this year.
“I just wanted to change that role and make sure that (people know) Africans can be sprinters too.”
Tebogo is proud of his background and listens to traditional Botswanan songs prior to races.
He also operates on a set of strong principles.
“Respect and dedication to what you do,” he said. “(It’s important) to show people how the culture is.
“Don’t throw away the culture, and then adopt the city life. Keep on pushing the culture so that people can (see) what you’re really made of.”
Devastating loss
Tebogo’s Olympic achievement is even more impressive having been very hard hit by the death of his greatest fan, beloved mother Seratiwa, in May.
His mother had faithfully followed her son around, slipping into Budapest without Tebogo knowing to watch him become the first male Botswanan athlete to win world championship medals last year.
“There are many moments that stand out!” she told TheVoiceBW in May this year, just days before her sudden death.
“For him to be the first Motswana to raise the blue, black and white flag in short sprints in Kenya 2021 takes centre stage, as does being the first Botswana man to medal at the World Championships last year, and breaking the 200m African record, which stood for over 27 years.”
It wasn’t always easy for the single mum to handle Tebogo, as well as a daughter who is nine years younger.
“Letsile has always been a hyperactive child,” she said.
“I’d be chopping veggies and he’d be hiding under the table picking them then eating them raw.”
Tebogo gave up his first sporting love, football, as he did not take well to being substituted.
‘Boy next door’
However, Tebogo also realised if he became an athlete there was a better chance of him being “able to put food on the family’s table” and repay his mother for all her sacrifices.
Nevertheless as he grew up with his extended family he still had to train for athletics and play football without shoes — he told NBC “everything had to be equal.”
He called his mother his “rock” — and she did everything for her son.
“Putting my interests on hold and emptying my savings just to be with him,” she recalled.
“Note that our relationship is more than that of mother and son, we are more brother and sister now –- more so that, for the longest time, it was just me and him.
She provided stability off the track while his coach Kebonyemodisa ‘Dose’ Mosimanyane provided it in his athletics career.
However, it was mum who ruled the roost in almost every respect.
“He is the boy next door,” she said.
“You should see him at the cattlepost doing everything any Motswana child does.”
Nevertheless she had bought a new car this year for his birthday — giving it to him early as he was to leave for a meet.
Her death left him bereft.
“It doesn’t even feel like my birthday anymore. I don’t think I will enjoy it anymore,” Tebogo posted on social media.
Most of all, she was not there to see her boy crowned Olympic champion.
AFP
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