Usain Bolt has tipped Letsile Tebogo as the future of sprinting, highlighting the qualities that set him apart and could see him dominate for years to come.

The world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, believes reigning Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo is the next big thing as far as sprinting is concerned.

Usain Bolt said that he has watched Letsile Tebogo rise through the ranks, and two things are notable: his talent and confidence.

The eight-time Olympic champion revealed that winning an Olympic gold medal at just 21 is something that very few athletes have accomplished, and that just sealed the conversation that Letsile Tebogo is here to stay for a long time.

Letsile Tebogo has been impressive in form since he shot into the limelight at the 2021 World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi. He won the 100m and secured a silver medal in the 200m.

The youngster then went ahead and defended his 100m title in Cali in 2022 and settled for second in the 200m. He competed at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where he won a silver medal in the 100m and a bronze medal in the 200m.

At the Paris Olympic Games, Letsile Tebogo became the first African to win a gold medal in the 200m, before he anchored Botswana to a silver medal in the 4x400m, the country’s first ever.

Usain Bolt believes Letsile Tebogo is just getting started with his career, and he has all the right things to dominate for years.

“Where to start with this kid? I think he is a young talent that the world is going to know his name. I’ve seen him through the junior days, coming up and dominating and showing that he was going to be great in the seniors. And now he’s here, and he won his first Olympic medal already at this young age, which is just outstanding,” Usain Bolt said in Letsile Tebogo’s Built for Speed documentary by World Athletics.

“The talent is there, and the confidence is there also, which is always important when going out there and competing at a high level.”

Usain Bolt added that Letsile Tebogo overcoming his mother Seratiwa Tebogo’s loss and delivering on the highest stage shook him.

Bolt admitted that some of the people he knew would have called it quits, but Letsile Tebogo showed up and made history.

The Jamaican legend revealed that getting an opportunity to speak to Letsile Tebogo and learn a few things about him made him confirm that he is going to dominate.

“What he had to overcome last year to actually get to the Olympic finals and then win for me. I know a lot of people who probably would have just ended the season, you know what I mean?” Usain Bolt added.

“Because of what he went through. So, hats off to him, and I had an opportunity to actually congratulate him, and I was happy to speak to him, and he’s going to be a great talent. No doubt. Somebody that I know is going to go a long way. He’s going to win a lot of races and he’s going to dominate.”

With the 2025 World Athletics Championships just hours away, Letsile Tebogo has received backing from the legendary Usain Bolt to dominate in the 100m and 200m.