18 Oct 2022

Letsile Tebogo’s coping strategy will make his transition from junior to senior level inspiring, according to his coach.

In an interview, Dose Mosimanyane said the sensational sprinter, presently in pre-season training in Maun, was focused and responding well.

The sprinter, who has been competing in junior meets, will join the senior level in the coming season.

He will now comepete with the likes of Fred Kerley, Marvin Bracy, Trayvon Bromell and Oblique Seville.

Mosimanyane said it was therefore important for Batswana to give the athlete at least three seasons for him to mature.

He said the senior category would be a learning curve for Tebogo.

“He will be starting from zero as other seniors and all what he did whilst still a junior, remains there. He was doing all the miracles with his age mates at their level,” he said.

Mosimanyane said the wisest thing would be not to put him under pressure to allow him to absorb the new category.

He said as a way of gradually introducing him to the senior category, he competed at the Eugene Diamond League and the World Championship that were held in Oregon where he finished fifth in 10.12.

“It was his debut Diamond League and he shared the track with some of experienced athletes, amongst them US’s Bromell, Kerley, Christian Coleman, Noah Lyles and he was so composed,” he said.

Mosimanyane said at the World Championships, Tebogo continued to show bravery on track as he competed with experience athletes in Men’s 100m heat five where he finished first and dropped a World Junior Record of 9.94.

“Looking at his performance with the seniors, I still insist on giving him a chance, though some might argue that he is ripe. We should allow him to mature to enable us to enjoy the best of him,” he said.

The coach said it was important for the athlete to learn, blossom and be able to display all the qualities that he managed to display whilst a junior.

“Comparing his performance at World Juniors in Kenya and Cali, I think he was better in Cali because he was in his last year, in a way he was a senior at the junior,” he said.

Mosimanyane, said although Tebogo needed about three seasons, he would not rule out a surprise and perform in the second season being a fast learner. ENDS