Africa-Press – Botswana. Collen Kebinatshipi may be renowned for his role in Botswana’s historic 4x400m silver medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the 21-year-old sprinter just disclosed that he is charting a different course.
At the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix that was held in Gaborone over the weekend, Collen Kebinatshipi made a bold statement by clocking an impressive 20.13s in the 200m – his fastest to date.
That time, which earned him a second-place finish, also secured his ticket to the 2025 World Athletics Championships. Despite his performance, Kebinatshipi insists that the run was not a part of the grand plan.
“The plan was not to run a good time like this,” said the athlete renowned for his role in Botswana’s historic 4x400m silver medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics after the race on Saturday. “However, since it’s done, it’s a good thing for me and my coach.”
Stress-free approach
The sprinter disclosed that making a switch to the 200m is part of a broader plan to ease into a new specialty. “It’s a race that I’ll be transitioning to in the next two years, and we are building up to it,” he said with a grin. “You won’t be seeing me in the 400m (any more).”
Kebinatshipi emphasised that he and his coach are taking a stress-free approach to the 2025 season. “This year we do not have any solid plans,” the athlete stated. “We are just having fun and letting the body be. We are not under any pressure to achieve anything.”
That mindset appears to be paying off. Healthy, confident and clearly still fast, Kebinatshipi’s performance signals a promising start to his 200m journey. “I’m good and healthy, he said. “That’s why I did the 200m. It’s a race that requires speed, and loads of it.”
Nowe’s dominance
The home crowd also had reason to celebrate in the women’s 800m. Botswana’s top middle-distance runner, Oratile Nowe, delivered a blistering run to clock 1:58.96, earning her a World Championships qualification and smashing her own national record of 1:59.22 set earlier this month.
Nowe’s performance was one of the standout moments of the day and underscored her steady rise as a dominant force in the event.
Still at the competition, national icon Letsile Tebogo gave the crowd more to cheer for with a 20.23s season-best in the men’s 200m, fending off South Africa’s Luxolo Adams (20.42s) and Belgium’s Kobe Vleminck (20.45s).
Botswana’s depth and growing stature
As expected, in the men’s 400m, Olympic medalist in the 4x400m, Bayapo Ndori, delivered a strong performance clocking a season best of 44.35s.
Botswana continued to impress in the men’s 800m, with Keithobogile Haingura leading a 1-2 finish for the host nation in 1:44.18. Tshepiso Masalela followed closely in 1:44.77, while Kenya’s Laban Chepkwony rounded out the podium in 1:45.38.
In the women’s 100m sprint, Refilwe Murangi clocked a personal best of 11.54s to claim top honours ahead of Tshepang Manyika (11.73s) and Sethunya Majama (11.82s).
The FNB Golden Grand Prix once again confirmed Botswana’s depth and growing stature in global athletics, with young stars emerging and veterans reaffirming their dominance.
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