RABAT, MOROCCO: Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo did not succeed in his attempt to win both sprint races at the Diamond League meet in Rabat. He finished last in the 100 meters and dropped out of the 200 meters race.
From Botswana, Tebogo finished the 100-meter race with a final time of 10.43 seconds. However, South Africa’s Akani Simbine finished with a time of 9.95 seconds, winning his third Diamond League win this season.
Tebogo won gold in the 200-meter race at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and it was his first time competing in both 100 and 200 meters at a Diamond League event. He also admitted that he was looking forward to it. However, 70 minutes after running the 100 meters, the athlete did not show up for the 200-meter race. With this, American sprinter Courtney Lindsey won the race with a final time of 20.04 seconds, and it was his first victory of the season.
In a social media post, Tebogo expressed: “Today’s performance wasn’t what I had hoped for, I’m currently dealing with a recurring injury, which hasn’t been easy. However, I’m channeling this disappointment and pain into resolve. I’m already focused on recovery and growth, and I know I will come back a stronger man. See y’all soon❤️🩹”
Netizens shared their support in the comments section and said: “Rallying behind you champ! Get well soon 🎉🎉”, “We know what you’re capable of and know you’ll be back at your best soon ❤️”, “Wish u speedy recovery our babe .May almighty give you strength always. We love you more and more. Have a good rest and come back strong, we shall miss you but your health is important to us as your fans💎🩵💐💐💐”, “🫂🫶Wishing you a peaceful mental, emotional, and physical recovery”, “You will bounce back Champ 👏❤️”, and “Wishing you strength, healing, and a full recovery. Your courage and dedication inspire us all—you will be back stronger!”
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In similar news, Botswana’s Tshepiso Masalela celebrated his 26th birthday by winning with a world-leading time of 1:42.70 in the men’s 800-meter race. He is ahead of Britain’s Max Burgin, who won second place, and Kenya’s Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who won third place.
Furthermore, in the 400-meter race, American Jacory Patterson beat South Africa’s Zakithi Nene, finishing with a final time of 44.37 seconds. Another impressive American performance came from Jonah Koech, who finished the 1500-meter category in 3:31.43 and set a new meeting record.
Beatrice Chebet of Kenya also won the women’s 3000-meter race with a thrilling time of 8:11.56. This record is the second-fastest time ever, behind Wang Junxia’s 1993 world record of 8:06.11.