4 August 2024
Letsile Tebogo became the first Motswana athlete to win athletics world championship medals last year, performing unknowingly with his adored mother Seratiwa in the crowd — sadly she will not be present at the Paris Olympics.
The woman whom 21-year-old Tebogo said gave him and his brother so much growing up, with very little money to spend, died in May this year. That tough upbringing, and the love for his mother, prompted him to choose athletics over football so he could put food on the table.
Tebogo — the surprise silver medallist in the 100 metres and winner of bronze in the 200m at last year’s world championships — on Saturday cruised into the 100m semi-finals at the Olympics but admitted his mother is never very far from his mind.
However, Tebogo — who next runs in the 100m semi-finals on Sunday — says if he ever needs to focus his mind he remembers why he chose this sport.
“It’s all about the dedication, the hard work that you put in and why you have started that journey,” he said.
“So that’s what I asked myself and I found the answers and why I’ve started the gym.
“So thinking about it, I always think about her but I just try not to let it get to me that much and then just block it out and move forward.”
Tebogo says his form has been inconsistent this year because his mother’s death hit him hard.
“I believe there is a medal in these legs and it only needs the determination and the willpower to do it,” he said.
“I’ve had such a huge blow that affected me deeply so I’m still trying to get the confidence back.”
“It’s not about injuries, it is all about my mum.”
Tebogo, who alerted the world to his potential in 2022 when aged 18 he became the second sprinter to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m in the under-20 age category, said he is in a happier place now.
“I’m really happy with the mental part and everything,” he said. “I’m really glad and happy that I’m back on that ship.”
Tebogo said he did not care if people think of him as an outsider for the title.
“I really like it when I’m under the radar,” he said. “Because people are always looking for those people who are on the radar.
“Then there are always those unknown names coming from underneath and surprising everybody so I believe that’s where I am right now.”
Tebogo may listen to “traditional music” from his southern African country before races but he says an Olympic medal would reverberate far further than his homeland.
“It’s not important for the country,” he said. “It’s important for the African continent because now people start to realise what the African continent is.”
