03 Sep 2026

Botswana’s track and field athletes face their ultimate test this weekend as they land in Belgium, aiming to bring home a historic pair of Diamond League titles. 

For the duo of Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo and reigning 400m world champion Collen Kebinatshipi, the Allianz Memorial Van Damme meeting represents the final peak in what has been a dominant global season.

The two-day final starts on Friday evening, with Kebinatshipi lining up as the favorite in the men’s 400m. 

He faces a competitive field that includes Chris Bailey, Khaleb McRae and Jacory Patterson from the United States, alongside Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith, South Africa’s Zakithi Nene, Trinidadian track star Jereem Richards and Belgian sprinter Daniel Segers. 

Kebinatshipi’s objective remains clear: to translate his season-long dominance into his very first Diamond League trophy. 

Sharing an update from their training camp, his coach, Chilume Ntshwarang said that the athlete was fully prepared for the final, adding that they had successfully finalised all intended training blocks and targets. 

On Saturday, the torch passes to Tebogo, who also enters his event as the favourite to win. 

Having narrowly missed out on the season crown by mere fractions of a second in past campaigns, he enters Brussels determined to banish old ghosts and claim the missing jewel in his athletic crown. 

Speaking about his readiness, coach Kebonyemodisa Mosimanyane said preparations had been going well. 

He noted that they had done exactly what they were supposed to do, declaring that the Olympic champion was ready for the challenge. 

Tebogo will line up against American speedsters Kenneth Bednarek and Courtney Lindsey, as well as Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba. 

The lineup also features South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile, Cuba’s Reynier Mena, Swiss sprinter Timothé Mumenthaler and Puerto Rico national record holder José Figueroa. ENDS