Letsile Tebogo has opened up about his defeat to Kenny Bednarek in the men’s 200m at the Diamond League Meeting final in Brussels, where he was the favorite to win.
Despite his expectations, the Olympic 200m champion finished second, while Bednarek claimed victory with a time of 19.67 seconds.
Tebogo clocked 19.80 seconds, followed closely by Alexander Ogando, who finished third at 19.97 seconds. He explained that his rigorous competition schedule this season left him with little energy for the final.
After the Olympics, Tebogo had a series of impressive performances, including victories in Lausanne and Silesia, and he prepared for the final with wins in Rome and Zurich.
Although he missed out on the trophy, he remains hopeful for future competitions, expressing confidence in his ability to secure a win in the future.
“I’m happy with the times that I’ve run this season and getting here, I’m satisfied with what I have done. I thought there would be some gas left in me but from the blocks, I didn’t get that start because the body has shut down. I’ve abused the body, so, I feel like running these times is still fine for me,” he shared.
“It’s been a great season and I’ve done a lot of things…with that, it was not an ideal condition for me to win the trophy but there are more years to come. I feel like it’s been a great season because I’m the Olympic champion and everyone dreams of that. I’ve seen a lot of support from Africans on social media and I’m glad that I got to inspire young people,” he added.
After concluding his season, Tebogo plans to take a short break to relax, spend time on his farm, and possibly go on vacation before starting training for next season. He has yet to finalize his plans, stating that he needs to discuss with his coach.
Looking ahead, the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo will be a significant focus for many athletes, including Tebogo.
At the recent World Championships in Budapest, he achieved second place in the 100m and third in the 200m, aiming to improve his standings next year.
“Next season, I’m not sure, we have to sit down and plan. For now, we have to forget about athletics and relax and then after a few weeks, we shall be back,” he said.
