Letsile Tebogo Tebogo Eyes Middle Distance Leap After World Championships Hinting at Rivalry With Emmanuel Wanyonyi

Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo has signaled a new challenge on the horizon following a dramatic campaign at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

The Botswana sprint sensation, who entered the championships with the weight of global expectation, has revealed that he is ready to test his limits in other distances,  including a surprising possible move into the 800m.

Tebogo’s World Championships journey was full of twists, as he  was disqualified from the men’s 100m final after a false start and later finished off the podium in his favored 200m event. 

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Tokyo’s performance is a stark contrast to his performance at the 2023 Budapest Championships where he bagged a silver medal in the 100m and bronze in the 200m. 

But despite the disappointment, he returned home with a historic achievement — running the fastest split to help Botswana win Africa’s first-ever 4x400m gold medal.

“I think for now what’s next for me is to go home and rest (and) hopefully start training for the next couple of months. So we will start again then and see what to do,” Tebogo said upon arrival at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport on Tuesday afternoon.

The 22-year-old, who has become a symbol of inspiration for African athletics, also dismissed suggestions that he should abandon the 100m to focus on the 400m. 

“I will never develop a 400m need. It is just a practical rule that I like to do to challenge the body because I do not want to limit myself to the 100m or the 200m so I like challenges,” he said as per MmegiOnline.

Tebogo went on to joke that fans might even see him stretching himself to middle-distance events: “People might see me trying out the 800m to test my body,” he said with a smile. 

This unexpected remark sent shockwaves across the athletics community, with fans already speculating about a potential showdown with Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the reigning 800m world champion.

After a year marked by intense travel, competition, and the pressure of living up to his Olympic champion status, Tebogo’s first priority is to recover. 

Coaches and analysts believe that should Tebogo follow through on his 800m testing plan, it could revolutionize perceptions of sprint versatility. Few athletes transition successfully into middle distances, but Tebogo’s raw speed could bring a new dynamic to the event, where endurance specialists like Emmanuel Wanyonyi dominate.

With the 2026 season offering opportunities such as the Diamond League, Continental Tour, and build-up to the next Olympics, Tebogo’s experimentation phase could provide valuable insight into his strengths. 

His willingness to embrace challenges suggests that he is not content to remain defined only as a sprinter.