Elegant, smart and calm, Tebogo has fun running
There is an unwritten rule in professional sports that athletes show respect to their opponents whether they are competing or not. If you look deeper into the Olympic principles, it is embedded. Most people don’t see this often, especially when competing, because professional athletes tend to give it their all because the talent gap is so infinitesimally small.
Some athletes even hide some of their talents that will bring pleasure to the game just to respect the “unwritten” rule. Unfortunately, some sports like football can fine players for showboating. In hindsight, the unwritten rule of sprinters is to always run through the lane and try not to taunt opponents in any way. Cheeky or not?
Of course, runners hardly follow the rules. Partly because they’re human, their instincts kick in, especially when they succeed, but also because they just want to have fun and not take it too seriously. You can go out on a limb and mention Letsile Tebogo in the latter category.
Tebogo is the current star of track and field, at least on the track. Apart from the fact that he is riding a huge wave of confidence after the Olympic 200m gold is over, it just seems like he can do no wrong. In her final 100m race at the Rome Diamond League, Motswana was a treat to watch. How can you love him now?
We talk a lot about athletes enjoying their sport and not stressing out when they’re pitted against their competitors, but Tebogo takes it to the next level. Almost like he took the aura off the board of the great Usain Bolt. That’s not too surprising considering he’s shown what he’s capable of in his junior career.
A look at his opponents in the Rome Diamond League and at least four of the guys in the squad had better personal bests than Tebogo. Fred Curley, Ferdinand Omanyala, Christian Coleman and Marcel Jacobs. The shorter sprint hasn’t been his best event since moving up to the senior division, but he’s finding a way to get into the mix, largely because of his raw talent. He won a silver medal at the last World Championships in Budapest and reached the finals of the Olympic Games in Paris.
Tebogo is not easily confused. Maybe it comes from the fact that he doesn’t put too much pressure on himself and enjoys his race as much as he can. Well, it’s easy to say when you’ve had three wins before the race in Rome. His start at the Olympic Stadium was perhaps one of the best of his career. Of course, he wasn’t going to beat Coleman, who ran the first 60m in 6.41, the same time as Tebogo.
Tebogo has since moved up to the second tier. The second leg of his race is usually his best, and with less than 20m to go, the former world junior champion looked to his left to see he was just ahead of Coleman and Curley and glanced at them. A growl followed, confirming what he already knew. No one was going to catch him in those last 10m. And with a victory in 9.87 seconds, he rightly set the pin.
Track fans like to focus on the times athletes run, but for the most part, that doesn’t matter to an athlete like Tebogo, who puts more emphasis on enjoying every bit of his race. The crowd really loved that part of him and as much as we talk about Bolt’s dominance during his time, it was an aspect of his run that endeared him to millions around the world.
Tebogo is at a stage in his career where he can be in full flight mode and still give you a good race. Of course, this won’t always work, as his opponents will be out to get him. to him. But that’s where the exploration part comes in. He’s sure to get better and we better be ready for more fun!
