'Who’d forget what happened in Paris'- Letsile Tebogo still soaking in Olympic glory

'Who’d forget what happened in Paris'- Letsile Tebogo still soaking in Olympic glory

Abigael Wafula 11:55 - 30.11.2024

Letsile Tebogo has not forgotten what happened at the Paris Olympic Games and is still celebrating his achievement in the French capital.

Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo is still basking in his Paris Olympic Games glory as he insisted that being honoured should not end this season but should continue until the next Olympic Games.

Tebogo made history by becoming the first African to win an Olympic gold in the 200m, clocking an African record time of 19.46 seconds. Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles finished second and third respectively behind him. He also anchored Botswana’s 4x400m men’s relay team to a silver medal behind Team USA.

This has given the Motswana youngster great motivation to keep going and he promised that even at the LA 2028 Olympic Games, he will be sure to continue the African legacy and shine on the global stage.

“Who’d forget what happened in Paris, you know? It means a lot to me, it means that we are on the very right track going forward. The recognition should not end today because the Olympics have been done but should go on until the next summer, the next Olympics. I believe that this is going to be a legacy that we shall keep until 2028,” Letsile Tebogo said.

The world 100m silver medallist added that his exploits at the Paris Olympic Games have helped him inspire a lot of youngsters and he hopes to see young people dominate global events going forward.

Tebogo added that he finds satisfaction in such acts where people look up to him and he wants the youngsters to grow and run faster than him.

“Inspiring kids is what keeps me going and I have the motivation and I know that somebody out there is watching me and he or she wants to be like me. It means a lot to me and I believe in 2028 and 2027, we’ll see more young people coming out and getting the job done. Even if they will be faster than me, I will be happy,” he shared.

Tebogo is one of the African sprinters who has not relocated to the US or Europe for specialised training and he believes that will motivate more youngsters to stay in Africa. He revealed that instead, he wants proper infrastructure brought to Africa so that one day, a country from the continent can host a global championship.

Letsile Tebogo explained that it’s draining to always have to travel to Europe or any other continent for global championships and believes that it’s time for Africa to be at the forefront too.

“It shows the dedication and hard work that the coaches are putting in and a lot of people coming back from Botswana are doing that. It’s all about us athletes asking for donations or infrastructures from other governments to help increase our abilities because we also want to host one of the major championships, either the Olympics or World Championships. Africans are also tired of travelling to Europe or other continents for championships,” he said.

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