12 Sep 2024

Letsile Tebogo will round up his 2024 excellent season with a final showdown at King Baudouin Stadium in the Memorial Van Damme Diamond League in Brussels on Saturday.

The 200 metres Olympic champion will race against five Americans in Kenneth Bednarek, Fred Kerley, Kyree King, Erriyon Knighton, Courtney Lindsey and the Dominican Republic sprinter, Alexander Ogando and Joseph Fahnbulleh of Liberia.

Tebogo will be making his Diamond League final debut and is expected to sprint away with the prestigious Diamond trophy. Having won all the Diamond League meetings after the Olympics, the Kanye born sprinter is poised to win the trophy that was designed by Swiss jeweller Beyer Chronometrie.

Tebogo’s top form and speed will separate him from the rest of the competitors and spectators should expect a great performance and good times.

His coach, Kebonyemodisa Mosimanyane said he expected his athlete to enjoy the race as his season was coming to an end and that he had no pressure.

However, he said Tebogo still had to perfect how he tackled the first 100 metres which included the bend without compromising his excellent acceleration in the home straight. He added they would continue to keep trying different approaches until they find the balance that suited him most. 

Still in Brussels on Saturday, Tshepiso Masalela will compete in the 800 metres final against Marco Arop of Canada, Algerian Djamel Sedjati and Khaled Benmahdi Eliott Crestan of Belgium, Kenyans’s Wyclife Kinyamal and Emmanuel Wanyonyi.

Some commentators are of the view that David Rudisha’s 800 metres record of 1:40.91 at the 2012 London Olympic Games was now within reach.

On Friday, Bayapo Ndori and Collen Kebinatshipi will compete in the 400 metres finals against Charles Dobson and Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain, Kirani James of Grenada, Vernon Norwood of USA Jonathan Sacoor of Belgium and Zambian Muzala Samukonga.

Mosimanyane said the fact that Botswana had four athletes at the Diamond League finals was a sign of growth. Ends