"Letsile Tebogo did it for her"- Justin Gatlin weighs in on the 200m Olympic Champion dedicating his incredible victory to his mother 

By Adityan Pillai

Modified Aug 20, 2024 06:20 GMT

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Justin Gatlin recently spoke about Letsile Tebogo's incredible performance in the men's 200m finals at the Paris Olympics. The former Olympic medalist was impressed by the grit and determination showcased by the 21-year-old athlete, who dedicated his victory to his mother by having her date of birth on his spikes.

Letsile Tebogo clocked 19.46s in the men's 200m final at the Paris Olympics to win the gold medal. He defeated Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles to clinch his first Olympic gold medal in a dominant display. Soon after the race, Tebogo took off his spikes and showed it to the cameras. He had his late mother's birthdate engraved on them and dedicated his outstanding performance to her.

Speaking about his gesture, he said:

" It’s basically me carrying her through every stride that I take. Me, to take her, it gives me a lot of motivation.I didn’t want to put the date of her death, because I’ll get emotional. I took about a month without doing anything. It wasn’t really clicking for me that she’s really gone. For me, I have to find the reason why I started my athletics journey and why I should continue going on." (As quoted by Japan Times)

Justin Gatlin spoke about the athlete's gesture and his performance in his podcast 'Ready Set Go'.

"His heart and mind were clearly set on that 200. You see, he dropped 19.46s an amazing time for anybody. But when he finished that race, he showed the world. He took his spike off, held it to the camera and he showed that was his mother's birth date. He did it for her. How do you stop somebody from running as fast as they can humanly run because they are not running for themselves, they're running for someone that you can't even describe how much they love? He went out there and did it for her," he said.

Justin Gatlin on Letsile Tebogo's impact

Justin Gatlin- Day 2 - 17th IAAF World Athletics Championships - Source: Getty

Justin Gatlin spoke about the impact Letsile Tebogo has on youth and upcoming African athletes. Gatlin expressed that he would be motivating several athletes and compared the impact to that of the legendary athlete Usain Bolt.

"I love the fact that he knows his position. He's a pioneer for young sprinters in Africa... People like Tebogo becoming a pioneer and the flagbearer for sprint dominance for the continent of Africa. He's helped in bringing forward generations to come of young sprinters who can be confident. It's the same like Usain Bolt did," he said. (0:33)

After a victorious Olympic campaign, Letsile Tebogo will be returning to the track on August 22, 2024, at the Lausanne Diamond League 2024.