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0 In what would have been a life full of ransacking, pickpocketing, and ultimately ending up behind bars, 2024 Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo says he’s grateful to ‘sport’ for saving him from indulging in criminal activities.
Tebogo reached the pinnacle of track and field last summer after storming to a blistering 19.46s finish in the 200m event at the Olympic Games, leaving United States duo Kenny Bednarek (2nd) and Noah Lyles (3rd) in his wake.
But a decade prior, Tebogo’s dream would have failed to materialise.
The Botswanan sprinter, who is now a global icon, revealed that growing up in his village, Kanye, there was a high chance he was going to end up as a criminal.
“Without sport, I [would] probably be a criminal by now,” Tebogo told BBC Sport Africa.
“In the neighbourhood that I was growing up in, there were a lot of criminals. We thought that was the only way to survive,” he added.
From his early years, Tebogo was a sport fanatic, starting off as a footballer, where he clinged onto the wing.
However, by 2021, Tebogo had transitioned into a full-time track athlete, gaining his first International experience at the 2021 World Athletics Relays.
Since then, his career has taken flight, claiming the 100m U20 record in 2022 after a blistering 9.91s before clinching the U20 African 200m record in 19.96s the same summer.
His rise at youth level set the precedent for his success in Paris, where he won the 200m race in 19.46s – the fastest ever by an African.
Having his mother (Serawita) by his side throughout his career, Tebogo had to find an inner layer of motivation to push on after her unfortunate demise in May 2024.
He responded to the call and ended up enjoying a terrific year, one which concluded with him being named World Athletics Male Athlete of the Year in December 2024.
Given his childhood experiences and life struggles, Tebogo has now been named Ambassador for the Kids Athletics Programme – an initiative which seeks to transform the life of kids all over the world through sport.
The post Without sport, I’d probably be a criminal by now – 200m Olympic Champion, Letsile Tebogo first appeared on 3News.
