Collen Kebinatshipi Fires Warning After Brilliant Start to Season: 'I'm Not at My Peak'

Reigning world 400m champion Collen Kebinatshipi believes the best is yet to come despite already holding the fastest times in two events, the 100m and 400m.

Collen Kebinatshipi dropped the world lead in the 100m at the Botswana Championships, crossing the finish line in 9.89 seconds.

The Motswana quarter-miler then competed at the Diamond League Meeting in Xiamen, where he also dropped a world lead of 43.92 seconds.

Speaking after the 400m race in Xiamen, Collen Kebinatshipi said that he was pleased with his performance and explained that the result did not catch him off guard because he had arrived at the meet expecting to produce a very fast time.

He added that the strong challenge from Muzala Samukonga throughout the race forced him to stay aggressive and maintain his rhythm, even though the contest itself was physically demanding.

Collen Kebinatshipi further explained that his focus will now shift back to training, where he intends to continue refining his condition and preparing for the next stage of the season.

The double world champion pointed out that he still believed there was room for improvement because he had not yet reached his best form. He noted that some adjustments would need to be made in training so that his body could handle a heavier workload and continue developing over the coming months.

Kebinatshipi also reflected on how much progress he has made compared to the previous year. He recalled that at the same stage last season, he had been running significantly slower times, whereas this year he has already managed to produce a performance in the 43-second range.

He said the improvement is a clear indication that he was maturing as an athlete, becoming stronger physically and mentally, and continuing to grow into one of the leading 400m runners on the world stage.

“I feel good. I'm not surprised with the time. I would just like to thank Muzala for pushing me on the inside. It wasn't a comfortable race. But for me, I knew that I was going to come here, and if I don't run a low 44, it's going to be a sub 44, which is okay for me,” Collen Kebinatshipi said.

“So from here, I'm just going to go back to training and start to train and see what's next for me. I'm not at my peak. That's what I'm saying. I have to go back to training and adjust a bit so that I can load the body.

“Because, you know, my peak came early. Last year, around this time, I was running 44.5. But this year I ran 43. That shows that, you know, I'm also growing. So I have to manage it well and make sure that it's going to work for us the entire season, so that we don't mess up.”

Now, the future looks exceptionally bright for the Botswana star, who feels he is far from reaching his full potential.