Tebogo: ‘The cameras are more on me now, but I have to focus on myself’

Bednarek warns he will be faster and more dangerous next year
Letsile Tebogo could not add the 200m Diamond Leahue title to the historic half lap gold he won at the Olympics and the Botswanan says he needs to keep his focus after becoming the man in the news since his Paris 2024 Olympics feat.

The 21-year-old could not find enough strength to race past Kenneth Bednarek (19.67) like he did at the Weltklasse in Zurich and had to settle for second in 19.80.

Tebogo admitted it has not been easy to cope with the media attention he has been receiving post-Paris Olympics but knows he needs to focus on himself and his race.

‘It has been a good season, but at the same time a though season for me. I wanted to win the Diamond League, but it has been a rollercoaster after the Olympics. So it wasn’t easy to keep the focus. The cameras are more on me now, but I have to focus on myself. Now it´s time to go home and take some rest,’ said the African.

For Bednarek who has now defeated Tebogo for the second time in seven head-to-head clashes, it has been an amazing season.

‘I’m feeling great. It’s been a really long season: I got the silver medal in Paris, I had a few wins during the season, also a few losses. But being able to end the season with a victory in the Diamond League final gives me a lot of confidence for next year.

‘I think execution-wise I did what I needed to do and I’m happy with the performance. This year I shocked a few people with how fast I was running. I knew that I had it in me, but the last couple of seasons I had some injuries here and there.

‘This season people saw a glimpse of what I can do. It’s not a breakout year, this is something that I was supposed to be doing. Next year I will even be faster and more dangerous,’ warned the American.