Paris 2024: Letsile Tebogo records second-fastest split time in history as he anchors Botswana to 4x400m Olympic silver

Paris 2024: Letsile Tebogo records second-fastest split time in history as he anchors Botswana to 4x400m Olympic silver

Funmilayo Fameso 23:21 - 10.08.2024

Letsile Tebogo is considering running the 400m in 2025 after clocking the second-fastest split time in history to anchor Botswana to the Olympic silver medal in the men's 4x400m event.

Paris 2024 Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo displayed his speed prowess again in the men's 4x400m final as he anchored Botswana to the silver medal, recording the second-fastest split time in history.

Tebogo came close to winning the gold medal for Botswana in the men's 4x400m final as Tebogo made a move on the anchor leg, but Rai Benjamin held firm to bring Team USA to victory in a new Olympic Record of 2:54.43.

However, Bayapo Ndori, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, Anthony Pesela, and Tebogo claimed the silver medal beaking their African Record in a nw 2:54.53, while Great Britain got the Bronze in a new European Record of 2:55.83.

Letsile Tebogo anchored Botswana's 4x400m relay squad to a new African Record and Olympic silver medal // @ESPNAfrica

Following the record-breaking race, the official splits time showed the Botswanan with the fastest of 43.03s - the second-fastest in history behind the legendary Michael Johnson's 42.94s clocked in 1993.

Great Britain's Matthew Hudson-Smith also had a fast time at 43.09s, while Rai Benjamin's 43.18s finished as the third-fastest.

More impressive about Tebogo's performance is that it was his eighth race in seven days, and to still be able to run that fast shows how talented he is and destined for greatness.

In an interview with reporters on potentially running the 400m in the future, Tebogo said he's not ruling the option out and can try it out in 2025.

“I believe next year it’s something that is going to happen because there’s not much events to happen. I believe maybe we’ll try the 400 next year, or maybe the 100 and 400, we’ll see," he said.

"We just want to play around with the events, because maybe the 400 is where I belong, who knows. Nobody knows.

Letsile Tebogo on the podium receiving his Olympic 200m gold medal

“I jokingly say I want to split a 42 leg. But if I do 43.0, it means a lot to everybody. It means we are in the best shapes of our life.”

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