Letsile Tebogo experienced a mixed bag of emotions at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where disappointment in his individual events was offset by a golden moment in the relay. Despite his status as one of the brightest sprinting stars, his payout from the championships was modest compared to expectations.
The reigning Olympic 200m champion arrived in Tokyo with hopes of improving on his stellar 2023 performance in Budapest, where he claimed silver in the 100m and bronze in the 200m. However, things did not go according to plan this time. In the men’s 100m, Tebogo was disqualified for a false start, denying him a chance to fight for a medal. In the 200m, he narrowly missed out on the podium, finishing fourth.
World Athletics prize money rules state that only the top eight finishers in finals are rewarded. Tebogo’s fourth-place finish in the 200m earned him US$16,000, but the disqualification in the 100m meant he walked away empty-handed from that race. Winners in individual events receive US$70,000, while second and third places earn US$35,000 and US$22,000 respectively.
Relief came on the final day of competition when Tebogo anchored Botswana’s 4x400m relay team to gold. World Athletics allocates US$80,000 to relay winners, with the prize shared among team members. This victory not only salvaged his championship but also added to his country’s pride on the global stage.
Overall, Tebogo’s earnings from Tokyo amounted to just over US$36,000 from his 200m finish and relay success—a modest sum given his superstar reputation and the expectations that surrounded him.
His 2025 season has been equally up and down. Tebogo started with a focus on the 400m before returning to the sprints on the Diamond League circuit. Results included a seventh-place finish in Xiamen, a third-place finish in Keqiao, and a 100m victory in Doha. He also delivered a 19.76-second win in the 200m at the Prefontaine Classic, a second-place finish behind Noah Lyles in Monaco, and a strong second place in Zurich.
Despite the setbacks, Tebogo’s resilience and ability to bounce back remain unquestionable. With the experience gained from Tokyo, he is already turning his focus toward future competitions, determined to prove why he is considered one of the most gifted sprinters of his generation.
