29th April 2023
Sello Motseta
Gaborone
Botswana’s young sprint sensation and Junior World Champion Tebogo Letsile won a relatively competitive 200m final race at Botswana’s Golden Grand Prix at the National Stadium in Gaborone in a time of 19.87 seconds today.
With Canada’s Brown Aaron a very close second in 20.00 seconds.
Although a downbeat Letsile felt letdown in the shorter sprint earlier with the consistency of starters gun.
Canadian 200m specialist and pre race favourite De Grasse Andre finished off the podium places in distant 7, in a time of 20.41in the early season event.
Letsile was denied a double by the in form Kenyan sprinter Omanyala Ferdinand who recorded a blistering run of 9.78 seconds in the 100m final.
“My main aim is to leave a legacy,” said Omanyala.
With temperatures a little hot and humid the times over the 100m, 200m and 400m pointed to a fast track.
“Of course competition was tough and track was fast. I trained yesterday and knew that the track was fast,” said Omanyala.
A huge upset occured in the 400m final with Zambian Samukonga crossing the finish line in 43.91 seconds.
Clearly exhausted he was immediately streched off with hands clasping his head after running race of his life.
He outsprinted the race favourite James Kirani of Granada who recorded 44.76 seconds and who talked of building momentum.
“Trying to build, being consistent and reaching levels required for World Championships,” said Kirani, who appeared a bit flustered by result.
Whilst the ladies performances were dominated by US sprinter White Kayla, who ran the 200m in 22.38 seconds.
She overshadowed compatriot Sha’Carri Richardson who came second in 22.54 seconds in the same event.
The World Athletics sanctioned event held for the first time in this sparsely populated, diamond rich country has given organizers confidence that the country can host bigger events.
“We have a three year contract and hope to organize a Diamond League event in the near future,” said Glody Dube, the event organizer and a former Olympic 800m finalist.
He said the event had been 11 years in the making.
