The stage was set for the very first World Relays in Botswana, and with an Olympic silver medal men’s relay team, the hopes were high. After all, they did have an Olympic medalist on their side, among several other stars. And then the event started, and fans began to worry as Botswana dropped at every possible hurdle. All but one until Letsile Tebogo stepped up, and Noah Lyles’ rival showed exactly what he’d been bragging about.

The 22-year-old had issued a challenge to Team USA earlier this year and then effortlessly proved the weight behind his words. That was as Botswana won their last race of the 2026 World Relays, flying past South Africa and Australia. They clocked a championship record time of 2:54.47, with South Africa finishing less than a second behind.

That effectively defined just how close a contest it was, with razor-thin margins. Botswana led after the first split from Lee Eppie, and then Tebogo stepped up. He clocked an impressive 43.30 split, but it wasn’t quite enough, with Botswana falling to second. That was thanks to an equally impressive run from South Africa’s Lythe Pillay. However, Bayapo Ndori made up the difference, sending the hosts back into first with just the anchors left to battle it out.

And while he may have been pushed to his brink, Busang Kebinatshipi held his nerve and made sure that he crossed the finish line in first to earn the hosts their only win. That does come as a surprise, especially as Botswana had teams in all six relay disciplines at the World Relays. That came on the back of a good Day 1 performance, qualifying across the board, and then it fell apart.

They first crashed out in Qualifying Round 2 of the 4x100m mixed relay, finishing last with the slowest time. Then came the mixed 4x400m relays, and while the hosts put up a better performance, it wasn’t quite enough. They finished fourth in Heat 2, outside the qualifying berths and seventh overall. More heartbreak was right around the corner as a little over twenty minutes later, the women dropped out of the 4x400m relays.

That was replicated by Botswana’s 4x100m women’s team as well, as they finished last in Heat 2, more than two seconds behind Australia. The men’s 4x100m squad did manage to make it all the way into the final, and it left the hosts with two potential medal hopefuls. But then calamity struck, as despite registering 38.35, they still finished sixth. 

Team USA finished first, with South Africa and Germany behind, while Botswana was nearly half a second behind. Then, Letsile Tebogo and the 4x400m squad stepped up, ensuring that the home side didn’t end the World Relays without a medal.

Yet, while they may have struggled to make the final, Letsile Tebogo’s presence ensured they qualified in the 4x100m for the 2027 World Athletics Championships.

Letsile Tebogo reflects on Botswana making history in the 4x100m

In front of a boisterous home crowd, Letsile Tebogo anchored a youthful quartet for Botswana. The 22-year-old Olympic gold medalist was the second-youngest on the team, but showed his star power in the final split. He delivered an impressive final leg and, despite taking the baton in fourth, Tebogo surged forward.

By the end of the race, he had outpaced Japan and the Netherlands, finishing just behind Team USA. More importantly, finishing second ensured Botswana had qualified for their first World Athletics Championships in the men’s 4x100m. They also set a national record along the way, but Tebogo knew he couldn’t be anything but his best.

“I knew I couldn’t disappoint,” Tebogo said, according to Olympics. “I had to find that sixth gear in me and make sure the team qualifies for Beijing.”

“The qualification means a lot to them. Now they get to experience what European countries are like and how other countries do certain things. So it means there’s going to be a lot of depth that’s going to come up over the years for the 4×100.”

In a meet where almost everything seemed to slip away, Letsile Tebogo delivered when it mattered most, turning promise into proof on home soil. And in doing so, Noah Lyles’ rival didn’t just back up his words, he gave Botswana a moment they won’t forget.