by Alfonz JuckWell, May is early for many, but with the World Champs in July, all of the world is waking up to track & field! The Gaborone International meet, in Botswana, is no exception! Big sprints by Letsile Tebogo and Christine Mboma.
Deji Ogeyingbo, our Nigerian editor, wrote a strong piece on Letsile, take a look here: https://www.runblogrun.com/2022/03/letsile-tebogo-from-frustrated-footballer-to-putting-food-on-the-table-through-athletics.html
Letsile Tebogo, photo from WA U20, by Dan Vernon for World Athletics
Tebogo 9.96 WJR, Mboma 10.97 NR and 21.87 WL
GABORONE (BOT, Apr 30): Gaborone International meet (WACT Bronze) registered World U20 record time 9.96 (+1.9) by Botswana´s Letsile Tebogo (also a national senior record) ahead of another U20 sprinter Benjamin Richardson from South Africa 10.08 PB and Henricho Bruintjies 10.15. Tebogo improved the mark of Trayvon Bromell by 9.97 in 2014. Olympic silver medalist Christine Mboma in her usual sprint double went for first-time sub 11 with 10.97 (+1.6) in the 100 m, a national senior record for Namibia and African U20 record, tied fourth U20 all-time position. In the 200 m, she posted World leading 21.87 (+0.6), her sixth sub 22 of her career. Clarence Munyai won the men´s 200 min 20.44 (0.0) ahead of Netherland´s Solomon Bockarie 20.60 and Isaac Makwala 20.65. South African Tshepo Tshite clocked 1:45.85 in the 800 m over Olympic medalist Ferguson Rotich at 1:46.63 and another Kenyan Cornelius Tuwei at 1:46.77. Relay U20 World champion Collen Kebinatshipi from Botswana made a huge improvement at age of 18 years to 45.40 in the 400 m. Thalosang Tshireletso improved in the long jump to 804 (0.0). South African Prudence Sekgodiso (20) also registered a substantial 1500 m improvement to 4:09.88. In 4×100 m relays South Africa was 38.63 ahead of Botswana at 39.29 and women of Zambia at 44.30.
