Letsile Tebogo is eager to see how his race against Joseph Fahnbulleh and American competitors will unfold at the Diamond League Meeting final in Brussels.
The reigning Olympic 200m champion aims to finish his season strongly by competing against a formidable American group in the men’s 200m at the Diamond League Meeting final in Brussels.
In a pre-race interview, the world 100m silver medallist stated that he is prepared for the challenge, emphasizing that he is currently in peak form.
Tebogo mentioned that, if all goes well, he would like to attempt breaking the course record set by Yohan Blake in 2011, who ran 19.26 seconds. However, he is not pressuring himself to break the record and is instead focused on how the race unfolds.
He recalled his performance at the Diamond League Meeting in Zurich, where he clocked 19.55 seconds despite adverse weather conditions. He noted that the competitive field in Brussels will also push him to his limits.
“I believe, looking at the competition also, the stadium record is possible but I don’t want to put myself under pressure ahead of the race, if it comes, that’s okay. All I can say is that I feel fresh after all the runs I have done and more energised than anything else,” Tebogo said.
Regarding the 400m, the Motswana sprinter shared that he wants to perfect his 100m skills before considering a move to longer distances, potentially starting after the 2025 World Championships.
“Firstly, I want to get the job done in the 100m and then we can move to the 200m and then maybe after the worlds of 2025, we can focus on the 400m,” he added.
Tebogo and Liberia’s Joseph Fahnbulleh are the only Africans in the race, and he expressed excitement about their performance. They will compete against American athletes including world 200m silver medallist Erriyon Knighton, Olympic 100m bronze medallist Fred Kerley, and Kyree King, as well as Olympic 200m silver medallist Kenny Bednarek and Courtney Lindsey. Alexander Ogando will also be participating.
“It’s actually two Africans against the world…it will be interesting to see how two Africans can do against the world. I believe it’s going to be a good race on Saturday. I mean, looking at what I did in Zurich, nobody thought it was possible due to the weather conditions,” he added.
