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Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo reflected on his defeat to Kenny Bednarek at the Brussels Diamond League to end his 2024 season that saw him rise to the top as one of the best sprinters this year.
Botswana's Olympic hero, Letsile Tebogo's rollercoaster 2024 season ended with a loss, after being defeated by Kenny Bednarek in the men's 200m final at the Brussels Diamond League.
Bednarek showed his class and supremacy in the mouthwatering clash as a perfect curve and perfect running form in the home stretch was enough to blaze to the finish line in an impressive 19.67s.
Tebogo had no response with his usual top-end speed, settling for the second position in 19.80s, while Dominican Republic's Alexander Ogando was third in 19.87s.
20:41 - 14.09.2024
Diamond League Final: Kenny Bednarek defeats Letsile Tebogo to 200m title in Brussels
Kenny Bednarek stunned Letsile Tebogo to the Diamond League title in Brussels, reclaiming his trophy from 2022.
Following his loss, the Motswana speed icon spoke to journalists reflecting on his performance.
"I wanted to win the Diamond Trophy, but it has been a rollercoaster after the Olympics. So it wasn't easy to keep the focus. The cameras are more on me now, but I have to focus on myself," he said.
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00:46 - 13.09.2024
'He's the real deal' - Noah Lyles finally admits Letsile Tebogo's superior talent as a top rival
US track star Noah Lyles is aware of Letsile Tebogo's talent but isn't scared of him yet despite losing to the Motswana at the Paris Olympic Games.
Tebogo has had an incredible 2024 season highlighted by winning Botswana's and Africa's first gold medal in sprint history at the Paris Olympic Games. He also anchored his country's 4x400m relay squad to the silver medal, thus carting home with two medals in his maiden Olympics.
Not resting on his oars, the 22-year-old followed his Paris performance with five wins post-Olympics before his defeat in Brussels.
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His exceptional rise to the pinnacle of men's sprint this year has seen him arguably earn accolades as the face of athletics (not his stack rival Noah Lyles, who is the Olympic 100m champion), as the spotlight is always on him in each of his races, topping social media and news headlines.
However, all these may not have happened after a heartbreaking moment in May, when he lost his mum to the cold hands of death following a brief illness.
02:10 - 13.09.2024
He is still chasing me: Noah Lyles brags revealing the technical changes that can make him scared of Letsile Tebogo
Noah Lyles believes he's still at a higher level than Letsile Tebogo and will only be scared if the Motswana speed king makes some technical changes.
Tebogo's rollercoaster season with several highs and lows will always be remembered in athletics books, and the 21-year-old can only hope for more iconic years in his quest to become one of the greatest sprinters in athletics history.
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