Role model Tebogo sparkles after tragedy

CAPE TOWN :In the country famous for its diamonds, sprinter Letsile Tebogo sparkles brightly, having won a first Olympic gold for Botswana in Paris last year and become a powerful role model as he overcame heartbreaking adversity.

His triumph in the men’s 200m final last August propelled him to hero status and emphasised the growing ability of the arid southern African country to produce world-class athletes.

But Tebogo’s success in Paris had an asterisk beside it, fuelling a rivalry that could provide the highlight of this month's World Championships in Tokyo.

American favourite Noah Lyles had tested positive for COVID before the Olympic 200m and laboured to bronze at the Stade de France, but extracted revenge in last month’s Diamond League final in Zurich, coming from behind to haul in Tebogo before the line.

The pair will likely be back for a much-anticipated showdown at the 200m final on September 19. 

Tebogo was obviously disappointed in Zurich and said: "This is not my true potential right now. I feel there is still a lot more in the tank that people need to see. I take this as a big motivation for my training and from tomorrow, until the last day of the (World Championships) 200m final, I have to give it all my best."

There was also a dig at the showboating of Lyles, never one to avoid the limelight in contrast to the shy and retiring 22-year-old from a village on the border with South Africa.

"The strong part of me is you have to let the legs do the talking because the more you talk and cannot prove it, it means you only talk," said Tebogo.

“I think now, Lyles is humble. He knows what can happen in this sport. He wins today, tomorrow, he can lose it. I believe since Paris, he has been humble, he has not been talking so