Letsile Tebogo has officially set his sights on one of the greatest achievements in track and field: breaking Usain Bolt’s 200m world record. Tebogo, the reigning Olympic 200m champion, is determined to make this feat a part of his illustrious career, and he believes that now is the right time to pursue such a monumental goal.
Tebogo has already etched his name into the record books, having set the African 200m record at 19.46 seconds, a time he ran to claim gold at the Paris Olympic Games. Now, the 22-year-old sprinter has shifted his focus to the 200m world record, which currently stands at 19.19 seconds, a time Bolt set during the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.
In a recent interview, Tebogo expressed his confidence in breaking the African record once again, noting that it is a relatively easy target for him given his past performances. He shared that he knows exactly how to approach the race and tweak his strategy to improve his time when necessary. However, he emphasized that breaking the world record is the ultimate goal—a challenge that will require more than just minor improvements; it will demand extraordinary levels of dedication and precision.
Tebogo has not yet competed in the 200m this season, but his recent explosive performances in the 100m have many believing that he is on the cusp of something even greater. His times in the latter part of the 2024 season showed immense potential, and many expect him to attempt the 200m world record in 2025. Tebogo has made it clear that breaking the world record is not just a dream; it is an objective he and his team are working toward with great focus and commitment.
Notably, Tebogo is not alone in his pursuit of Bolt’s legendary record. American sprinter Noah Lyles, the Olympic 100m silver medalist, has also expressed his intention to break the 200m world record. Lyles, who has a personal best of 19.31 seconds, has been vocal about his desire to make history by surpassing Bolt’s time. He first made his intentions known at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where he was confident that achieving the world record was within reach.
Lyles has stated that the idea of breaking the world record is always on his mind, and he views it as a key step toward cementing his legacy in the sport. For Lyles, who has already won multiple world titles and an Olympic gold in the 100m, breaking the world record would be the crowning achievement of his career. “Grabbing a world record is one of the two things that I still have left to do,” Lyles said in a past interview. “If I aim to be the greatest, there’s just something that I have to get or I want to get.”
With both Tebogo and Lyles chasing after the 200m world record, the competition between the two is sure to raise the stakes in track and field. Their rivalry could push each athlete to new heights, potentially rewriting history in the process. As they continue to develop and refine their strategies, there is little doubt that the next few years will be a thrilling chapter for the 200m race, with both sprinters determined to challenge Bolt’s legendary mark.
