In January 2026, Letsile Tebogo took to his official X account to issue a challenge to Team USA’s relay team. And it seemed like he had cursed his fate because mere weeks after that, the Olympic champion was carried off the track after a shocking fall, but the 22-year-old has now provided a clear update on his condition.
“Bruised, not broken,” Tebogo wrote on his Instagram story. “Shaking it off and moving forward.”
Tebogo was warming up during the 100m heats at the Botswana Athletics Championships when he unfortunately sprinted into a poor run of luck. While testing the starting blocks, Tebogo put one foot ahead, slipped, spun 360 degrees, and crumpled sideways onto the track, as seen in a now-viral video.
He was then carried off the track, and it was later revealed that the same injury forced him out of the event. It was the worst possible timing for Botswana and Letsile Tebogo himself, especially given his challenge issued to Team USA and the fact that Botswana is hosting the World Relays.
“We don’t need the hype when we have the heart. Tell the US to bring their fastest…they are still going to be looking at our back numbers,” he had said, challenging the US.
Set to take place between May 2 and 3, Tebogo is likely to be the face of the event, especially after his role in Botswana’s 4x400m relay win in Tokyo. The 22-year-old endured a tough World Championships in Japan, getting disqualified from the 100m and finishing fourth in the 200m.
But he more than made up for it in the 4x400m relays, alongside Lee Eppie, Bayapo Ndori and Collen Kebinatshipi, the quartet stunned the field.
“Bruised, not broken”
Update from
Letsile Tebogo after an injury prevented him from competing at Botswana’s National Championships
(: @tebogo_letsile_) pic.twitter.com/uLy9wacaWI
— Travis Miller (@travismillerx13) April 6, 2026
They flew beyond Team USA, who, despite producing a season-best result, still finished second by 0:00.07 seconds. It was a sensational result that gave Tebogo and Botswana immense confidence going into the World Relays until his fall.
And while the scare initially raised fears about his availability, the Olympic gold medalist’s quick update has shifted the focus back to a more familiar concern that has followed him over the past year.
Letsile Tebogo reflects on his recurring injuries
This is far from the 22-year-old’s first injury; he has been suffering from recurring injuries over the last few years. That was confirmed by his coach, Kebonyemodisa Mosimanyane, and Letsile Tebogo even experienced a flare-up of his recurring hamstring issue in May.
That particular injury cost him nearly two weeks of training and forced him to withdraw from the 200m at the May 2025 Diamond League meeting in Rabat.
Tebogo did return for the 2025 Monaco Diamond League meet but finished second to Noah Lyles and revealed, after that, that things hadn’t been easy.
“I mean, we had a, a grade two, um, hamstring,” Tebogo said. “We had to recover from it. Um, it’s a recurring injury. We just had to make sure we handled it much better than the other time. So it was, it was quite a heavy journey, and it wasn’t easy for me for the team, um, because I had to rely on them f- so to f- to carry a- to carry me up to, to the top.”
With the World Relays fast approaching, Letsile Tebogo’s fitness will remain under close watch despite his reassuring update. For now, the Olympic champion has made it clear that this latest setback is not as serious as it first seemed.
And if his recovery holds, he will once again look to back up his words when Botswana takes on Team USA on home soil in less than a month.
