"I have changed a lot of lives" - Letsile Tebogo on becoming Botswana’s first Olympic gold medalist after Paris 2024 exploits

Letsile Tebogo recently opened up about becoming the first-ever gold medalist for Botswana in the Paris Olympics. He is currently poised to compete in the 200m at the Lausanne Diamond League 2024.

Tebogo proved his dominance in the 200m dash at the 2024 Olympics as he stood atop the podium after clocking 19.46s and trouncing heavy favorite Noah Lyles, who clinched the bronze with a time of 19.70s. The second place was claimed by another American athlete, Kenny Bednarek, who recorded 19.62s.

Along with this, the Botswanian athlete also claimed silver in the men's 4x400m relay, after clocking 2:54.53 with his team, which included Busang Kebinatshipi, Anthony Pesela, and Bayapo Ndori. A few days following the conclusion of the Paris Olympics, Tebogo talked about his success at the quadrennial event in a press conference ahead of the upcoming Lausanne Diamond League.

Reflecting on becoming Botswana's first-ever Olympic gold medalist, Tebogo opened up about how he felt after witnessing the crowd and the changes he brought after becoming the champion.

"The support was really amazing to see. 30,000 plus people on the stadium, along the roads, coming back home and I believe my life has changed and I have changed a lot of lives in my home country. I 've been looking forward to not just my country and also for the African continent, because I've shown them against all orders that everything is possible," Tebogo said (via @Diamond_League on X).

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Letsile Tebogo on why he cannot be the face of athletics

Even after clinching gold at the Paris Olympics, Letsile Tebogo opened up about why he cannot be the face of athletics. When asked about it in the post-race interview during the Summer Games, the athlete said that he did not have the "arrogance" like Noah Lyles.

"I think for me I can't be the face of athletics because I'm not an arrogant or a loud person like Noah. So I believe that Noah is the face of athletics," Tebogo said.

Letsile Tebogo also participated in the 100m dash at the Paris Olympics; however, he could only manage a sixth-place finish with a time of 9.86s, with Noah Lyles clinching the gold after clocking 9.79s.

The 21-year-old athlete will next be seen competing in the 200m dash in the Lausanne Diamond League, which is slated to be held on August 22, 2024, at the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, Lausanne, Switzerland.