Botswana’s sprinting prodigy, Letsile Tebogo, has disclosed his plan to challenge Usain Bolt’s long-standing 200m world record, a feat that has eluded athletes for 15 years. Tebogo, who recently claimed the Olympic 200m gold, is pacing himself for the task, intending to make a serious attempt at the record in three years.
Usain Bolt, the iconic Jamaican sprinter, set the 200m world record at 19.19 seconds during the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. Since then, numerous athletes have tried to surpass this mark, but none have succeeded. The record is considered by many as nearly untouchable, with some even deeming it “impossible” to break. However, Tebogo’s rapid rise in the sprinting world has placed him among the few who might realistically challenge Bolt’s record.
Tebogo’s recent performances have fueled optimism about his potential. At just 21 years old, he clinched the Olympic gold medal with a personal best of 19.46 seconds, placing him 0.27 seconds shy of Bolt’s record. Despite this close proximity to the record, Tebogo remains cautious, choosing not to rush his attempt. He expressed his thoughts on the matter after clocking 19.64 seconds to win the 200m at the Lausanne Diamond League, where he emphasized the importance of not succumbing to the pressure of breaking the record too soon.
“I see the world record, but I don’t want to put myself under the pressure of breaking it right now,” Tebogo shared with The Inside Lane. “If it’s meant to happen, it will eventually come. There’s no need to force it this year or even next year. Perhaps when I’m 24, that’s when I could seriously go for it. But I don’t think it will take long, considering what I did today in Lausanne and during the Olympic 200m final.”
Tebogo’s careful approach is understandable, given his age and the time he has left in his career to reach this milestone. Unlike some of his competitors, such as Noah Lyles, who is six years older, Tebogo is under less immediate pressure. Lyles currently holds the third-fastest time in history over the 200m distance, having recorded 19.31 seconds at the Eugene Diamond League in July 2022. He trails only Bolt and Yohane Blake, another Jamaican sprinter, who ran 19.26 seconds in Brussels in 2011.
Tebogo’s 19.46-second performance ranks as the fifth-fastest time ever recorded in the 200m, placing him behind American sprint legend Michael Johnson, who set a time of 19.32 seconds at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. This remarkable achievement has solidified Tebogo’s position among the elite sprinters in history.
As Tebogo continues to develop and gain experience, his sights are set on Bolt’s seemingly insurmountable record. With a strategic approach and an eye on the future, the Botswana star is positioning himself as a genuine contender to etch his name into the annals of sprinting history. Whether he can dethrone Bolt remains to be seen, but Tebogo’s trajectory suggests that the world should keep a close watch on this rising sprint sensation.
