As the countdown to the London Diamond League intensifies, one of the sport’s most exciting young sprinters, Letsile Tebogo, finds himself under scrutiny.
The 21-year-old Botswanan star, once seen as the rising force of sprinting, now faces more questions than answers, especially in the 100 meters.
After a string of recent losses, respected track and field analyst Coach Rob has added his voice to the growing uncertainty around Tebogo’s current form.
From Favorite to Fighter
Tebogo’s 2025 season has been anything but smooth in the 100m. His early promise took a hit when he was edged out by Noah Lyles in the Monaco Diamond League 200m showdown, losing 19.97s to Lyles’ 19.88s.
Just days later, the sprinter fell short in the 100m at the Centro Gabre Gabric meet in Brescia, losing by a mere 0.01 seconds to Canadian Jerome Blake.
Though minor in margin, these defeats raise major concerns as the World Championships draw near. And Coach Rob, in his latest YouTube breakdown, didn’t mince his words.
“But right now on the world stage, where do you put him when it comes to the 100?” Coach Rob asked pointedly.
“Because if you’re asking me… I mean, the name that you kind of have to put at the top is Kishane [Thompson].”
He’s referring to the Jamaican sprinter who clocked a blistering 9.75s at the Jamaican Championships, making him the fastest man of the year and the sixth-fastest ever over 100m. Add Olympic champion Noah Lyles and seasoned U.S. sprinter Trayvon Bromell to the mix, and Tebogo’s chances suddenly seem less certain.
Coach Rob acknowledged Tebogo’s immense talent but stressed that there’s little evidence suggesting he’s currently outperforming stars like Fred Kerley or Oblique Seville. At the Paris Olympics, Tebogo finished sixth in the 100m final (9.86s), while Kerley took bronze and Seville came eighth.
Then came the biggest red flag, his 10.43s finish in Rabat, where he placed last.
“Even though we say these races are tune-ups for the Worlds… if you don’t tune that thing up properly, you’re going to end up behind all the world’s fastest men,” Rob warned.
A Different Tune for the 200m
While his 100m record raises doubts, Tebogo’s performances in the 200m this season are turning heads for all the right reasons. He started strong in Gaborone with a 20.23s run into a headwind and followed it up with a commanding win in Doha (20.10s).
At the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, he delivered his best of the year,19.76s, a season’s best that reaffirmed his dominance in the half-lap race.
Even Coach Rob admitted.
“I think the 200 is a much more exciting conversation when it comes to his prospects.”
While Lyles edged him in Monaco, Tebogo remains one of the top 200m men in 2025, with only Kenny Bednarek, who remains undefeated, and Lyles offering real competition.
London Awaits, But Which Tebogo Will Show Up?
As the July 19 London Diamond League event approaches, the mystery deepens. Tebogo is set to line up alongside Lyles in the 100m, another chance to prove whether he can hang with the world’s fastest men over the short dash.
But with inconsistent times (ranging from 10.55s to 10.03s) and recent setbacks, confidence in his medal potential is starting to waver.
Coach Rob isn’t counting him out entirely. But he was crystal clear on one point.
“Are you taking him before Kishane? I’m not. Before Noah? I’m not. Before Trayvon Bromell? Still no.”
