‘Calm’ Tebogo awaits world record ratification

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‘Calm’ Tebogo awaits world record ratification
‘Calm’ Tebogo awaits world record ratification

Africa-Press – Botswana. Almost as cool as ice, new athletics hero, Letsile Tebogo is unmoved as he waits for World Athletics to ratify his world Under-20 100m record.

Tebogo recently recorded 9.96secs during the Gaborone International Meet, which qualifies as the fastest 100m junior record, beating a 2014 mark set by US sprinter, Trayvon Bromell.

Tebogo becomes only the second Under-20 runner in the world to complete the 100m in under 10secs.

“Yes, I heard that they have to ratify the record.

My coach told me that, I think it was on Monday.

I think it will take a week or two before everything is sorted,” Tebogo said.

The Gaborone International Meet is a recognised World Athletics competition, which is a Continental Tour Bronze meeting.

Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) vice president, Oabona Theetso said the decision to ratify lies with World Athletics.

“They satisfy themselves first but it won’t take long.

I don’t remember any record being overturned unless it is a case of doping,” Theetso said this week.

Among issues that can make World Athletics overturn the record are, the use of hand timing, wind velocity exceeding four metres per second, the unavailability of wind reading or wind assisted performance.

For latter two, a correction mechanism is applied and the times are adjusted accordingly.

Doping is also one of the conditions considered.

Before World Athletics ratifies the record, Bromell’s time of 9.97secs remains the official mark.

Tebogo’s time means he has qualified for the Athletics Championships which take place between July 15 and 24 in Oregon, United States.

He will also take part in the Africa Senior Championships in Maritius in June, as he takes the next step in his athletics career.

At international level, Tebogo has mostly competed in junior events, and shone at the World Under-20 Championships in Kenya last year.

He bagged a gold medal in the 100m and a silver in the 200m race.

He will however, try his luck in the 400m at the coming World Junior Championships in Colombia in August.

Tebogo has specialised in the 100m and 200m but will now look to succeed in the one-lap race which Botswana is famous for.

He has a personal best of 46.09 in the 400m and could be destined for success, taking over the mettle from the retiring Isaac Makwala.

Tebogo has indicated that although he wants to run in the 400m, he also intends to defend his 100m title, in what will be a busy year for the 18year-old from Kanye.

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