‘Exciting For The Sport!’ - American Sprint Legends on Budding Botswana-USA 4 x 400m Rivalry

American sprint legends Justin Gatlin and LaShawn Merritt have explained how the budding 4 x 400 meter rivalry between USA and Botswana spearheaded by Rai Benjamin and Letsile Tebogo will transcend the sport.

American sprint icons LaShawn Merritt and Justin Gatlin have hailed the rise of a gripping new rivalry between Botswana and the United States in the men’s 4x400m relay, following a dramatic finish at the Tokyo World Championships.

Botswana, anchored by Collen Kebinatshipi and powered by star sprinter Letsile Tebogo on the third leg, stunned the Americans in the final meters to claim gold in 2:57.76. 

The United States, with 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin on anchor, looked destined for victory after carrying a two-metre lead into the home straight.

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 But Kebinatshipi, replicating the rhythm and finesse that earned him the individual 400m crown, surged past both Benjamin and South Africa’s Zakithi Nene in the dying seconds to secure Botswana’s first-ever world 4x400m title.

This was sweet revenge for Tebogo and his teammates, who had to settle for silver at the Olympics despite Tebogo nearly outsprinting Benjamin during the Paris showdown a year earlier.

I Loved It Happened in The Rain - Merritt

For Merritt, the performance was as much about mental resilience as raw speed. “I loved that it happened in the rain, not under perfect conditions. That made it a mental battle as much as a physical one,” the former Olympic and world champion said on the Ready Set Go podcast. “You could see how he kept his rhythm — light on his feet, just flowing through.

“ That’s not easy, especially for me back in my day with more muscle mass.

“I reached out to congratulate him because he had an amazing 400m hurdles. You can’t win them all, but I’m excited to see this Botswana–American rivalry develop.

“ To me, it’s definitely a rivalry now. Even their celebrations looked rehearsed — which shows the confidence they carried from the warm-up track into competition.”

It Builds  a Storyline- Gatlin

Gatlin, meanwhile, highlighted the late surge that sealed Botswana’s redemption after falling short at the Paris Olympics. “If you look at that race, Botswana’s runner didn’t really move until the South African made his move,” the 2004 Olympic 100m champion noted. “That’s when he went with him, realized he could win, and pushed through as Rai started to tighten up.

“I love it because it builds the storyline. We saw Rai and Teboho battle at the Olympics in an epic race, and now Botswana came right back this year and got their redemption. It makes you want to see what’s next — in 2027, 2028. That’s exciting for the sport.”

With Botswana’s golden generation led by Tebogo and Kebinatshipi squaring off against Benjamin and a reloaded U.S. squad, track fans could be witnessing the birth of one of athletics’ defining rivalries of the decade.