[imagesource: Capture TV]

It’s a little tiresome that every new sprint sensation is compared to Jamaican Usain Bolt.

The greatest sprinter of all time stands heads and shoulders above the rest and those comparisons are also unfair to young athletes trying to forge their own path to success.

18-year-old American Erriyon Knighton, a student at Tampa’s Hillsborough High School in Florida, has grown used to being dubbed ‘the next Usain Bolt’ since he shattered the Jamaican’s under-20 record of 19,93 seconds, clocking 19,49.

In fact, only Bolt, Yohan Blake, and Michael Johnson have ever gone faster.

However, it sure looks like 19-year-old Letsile Tebogo from Botswana can handle the pressure and may even be courting it. His performance at this year’s U20 World Championships in Cali, Colombia, is all the proof you need.

This via CNN:

[It] established him as one of the most exciting prospects in track and field – not only because of the ease with which he appeared to pull away from the other competitors, but also because of his premature celebrations 30 meters from the finish line.

As he gestured to his right side and wagged his finger in delight, Tebogo suddenly became the talk of the athletics world.

We know who else loved to celebrate before crossing the line, don’t we?

Had he not slowed down, it’s believed he could have run a 9,80 or thereabouts.

Tebogo’s celebration caught the eye of Bolt himself:

World Juniors I see

— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) August 2, 2022

Tebogo was criticised by some for disrespecting his fellow sprinters with the celebration. He says that is far from the truth:

“I didn’t mean to disrespect anyone on the track … You have to do something for those who are staying up at night to watch you – something to talk about tomorrow or in the near future.”

He also told World Athletics after the race that Bolt is his idol and he wanted to remind fans in the stadium of the Jamaican’s record exploits in years gone by.

The Motswana speedster only took up athletics in his teens, having initially shown footballing promise:

While his under-20 records have come in the 100m, he also races the 200m and finished second to Israel’s Blessing Afrifah by six thousandths of a second at this year’s Junior World Championships.

Running side-by-side on the home straight, the pair set a new championship record of 19.96 seconds – a time that puts them joint third behind Bolt and Erriyon Knighton in the under-20 all-time list.

The battle between Knighton and Tebogo could be one for the ages.

When the two raced in the 100m earlier this year, Tebogo pipped his potential rival by 0,02 seconds.

In March, he plans to start at the University of Oregon, which will be the first time he’s based his training outside of his home country.

[sources:cnn&worldathl]