Letsile Tebogo: 5 Americans out to stop Botswana sensation from winning Diamond League Trophy

Botswana sprinter Letsile Tebogo’s desire to win the Diamond League Trophy in 200m will come under huge test as he is up against five top American sprinters at the final in Brussels.

Tebogo, who has been in great form over the distance, is looking for his first Diamond League Trophy at the season finale in Brussels, Belgium between September 13 and 14 but will have to contend with stiff competition from some familiar faces.

The Olympics champion is up against Kenny Bednarek, the man he beat to clinch gold in Paris, Fred Kerley, Erriyon Knighton, Courtney Lindsey and Kyree King, all from the United States.

Other rivals will be Liberia’s US-based Joseph Fahnbulleh and Alexander Ogando from the Dominican Republic.

Tebogo has, however, triumphed over all his rivals this season which should give him confidence of another victory.

The 21-year-old made a great statement of intent against his key rivals in Zurich last week when he defeated four of the five Americans he is set to face in Brussels.

Tebogo did not have a good start but did just enough to beat Bednarek with Knighton, and Kerley finishing in third and fourth positions respectively.

That was the third time he was beating them in one month after handing them defeats in Lausanne and Silesia while he has also gotten the better of Lindsey, who handed him his first loss of the season in 200m, when finishing second at the Kip Keino Classic in April.

The Diamond League Final will be hotly contested given there is a $30,000 reward at stake for the winner as well as the shiny diamond trophy.