Delivering the biggest surprise of the meeting, Karabo Letebele stuck up his hand at the ASA Grand Prix in Pretoria on Wednesday, emerging as the latest in a long line of phenomenal junior sprinters produced by South Africa over the last decade.
Letebele set a personal best of 10.19 seconds, outclassing a strong field which included African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala, who settled for third place behind runner-up Emile Erasmus.
While he admitted he was surprised to have won the race, running from lane one, 18-year-old Letebele insisted he was not shocked by the time, which was the sixth fastest 100m performance in the world this year and the quickest by a junior athlete in 2025.
“Last week I ran 10.27 and in training two weeks before that I ran 10.13, so I am confident I can go even faster than this,” Letebele said.
Letebele set his previous personal best of 10.45 last year, and he finished seventh in the 100m final at the 2024 ASA U20 Championships, but this season he has opened his campaign with a bang.
He said his latest result had given him a significant boost in confidence as he looked to challenge world junior champion Bayanda Walaza later this season.
“It has given me more confidence knowing that I have what it takes, especially in my age group,” he said.
“I’m going against the likes of Bayanda, so I’m just happy to see that my hard work is paying off and I have what it takes to be number one.”
Looking ahead
Having matriculated from Grey College last year, the teenager from Vanderbijlpark is moving to the United States later this year, where he plans to compete on the collegiate circuit.
“I’m going to America in August. I’ve got a few scholarship offers and I want to study business management,” he said.
“I’d preferably like to attend UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) but we’re still deciding what’s best for me.”
While some South African athletes have struggled to compete on the gruelling US collegiate circuit, Letebele said he was motivated by Olympic relay medallist Shaun Maswanganyi, who was based in the States.
“I would like to go to America because Shaun has really inspired me. He’s one of the reasons I do track and field, so I want to follow in his footsteps.”
