Preview: Stars Return and Records Loom at the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix
.jpg/tebogo%20(3)__800x500.jpg)
The FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix returns to Gaborone on Saturday, April 12, bringing world-class athletics to southern Africa as part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold. Headlined by hometown hero Letsile Tebogo, who opens his 2025 season in the 200m, the event promises fireworks across the sprints, jumps, throws, and middle distances. From Olympic medalists to continental record-holders, the meet assembles an elite international field for one of Africa’s premier track and field showdowns.
200m: Tebogo Returns Home to Launch His Season
Letsile Tebogo will kick off his 2025 campaign in front of his home crowd in the 200m at the FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix. Last year, he set a meeting record of 19.87 in Gaborone and placed second in the 100m with 9.91. The then-teenager later broke Frankie Fredericks’ African record, running 19.50 in London, before earning silver (100m, 9.88) and bronze (200m, 19.81) at the World Championships in Budapest.
Tebogo also clocked 19.71 into a -1.5 m/s headwind in a photo finish behind Courtney Lindsey at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi. His 2024 highlights include a stunning 19.46 to win Olympic gold in Paris and a 43.04 split that helped Botswana secure 4x400m relay silver in a continental record of 2:54.53.
He won five Diamond League races last season: four over 200m (Monaco 19.87, Lausanne 19.64, Chorzow 19.83, Zurich 19.55) and one over 100m (Rome 9.87), narrowly missing his national record. He finished second in Brussels to Kenny Bednarek with 19.80. Most recently, Tebogo ran a seasonal best of 45.26 for second behind Bayapo Ndori in the 400m at the Continental Tour Gold in Melbourne.
Tebogo will face Olympic relay teammate Collen Kebinatshipi, South Africa’s Luxolo Adams (PB 19.82, winner in Paris 2022), and Jamaica’s Tyquendo Tracey (PB 9.86).
100m: Simbine and Omanyala Set for Sprint Showdown
South Africa’s Akani Simbine opens his outdoor season after earning his first individual global medal — 60m bronze (6.54) — at the World Indoor Championships. He holds a 100m PB of 9.82 and was fourth in the Olympic final in Paris, also winning relay silver (37.57). A veteran of three World Championship finals, Simbine remains a force in African sprinting.
He’ll face Ferdinand Omanyala, the Kenyan sprint powerhouse who set the African 100m record of 9.77 in Nairobi. Omanyala finished seventh in Budapest and opened his 2025 season with 10.08 in Johannesburg and 10.09 in Kampala. South African Benjamin Richardson, who ran PBs of 9.86 (100m) and 19.99 (200m) last year, will also line up.
Shot Put: Fabbri and Weir Lead Heavyweight Clash
Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri returns to Gaborone after winning here two years ago with a 21.32m meeting record. Now the reigning European champion, Fabbri improved his PB to 22.98m and won the Diamond League final in Brussels. His 2025 indoor season featured wins in Torun (21.62m) and Liévin (21.85m), and he placed fourth at the World Indoors.
He’ll be challenged by fellow Italian and training partner Zane Weir, who owns a PB of 22.44m and won European indoor gold in 2023. The field also features Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Tolu (PB 21.80m), Kyle Blignaut of South Africa, Aiden Smith (20.73m), Germany’s Eric Maihofer, and Tadeas Prochazka.
400m Hurdles: Muhammad Begins Farewell Tour
Dalilah Muhammad, the former world record holder and Olympic champion, continues her final season. She recently ran 54.59 for second in Kingston. Muhammad boasts Olympic gold (Rio 2016), silver (Tokyo 2021), and a world title (Doha 2019) with a former WR of 52.16.
She’ll face Panama’s Gianna Woodruff, a finalist in Tokyo and Eugene, 2015 world bronze medallist Cassandra Tate, and 2022 African champion Zeney Geldenhuys.
400m: Ndori vs Pillay in Men’s Quarter-Mile Duel
Bayapo Ndori, Olympic relay silver medallist, has opened his season strong with back-to-back wins — 44.59 in Pretoria and 45.14 in Melbourne. He’ll take on South Africa’s Lythe Pillay, world U20 champion in 2022 and fifth in the Olympic 4x400m final. Pillay holds a PB of 44.31 and ran a seasonal best of 45.74 in Johannesburg.
Women’s 400m: McLeod Leads Diverse Line-Up
Jamaican Olympian Candice McLeod (PB 49.87) faces USA’s Courtney Okolo and Egypt’s Basant Hemida. McLeod earned Olympic bronze in the 4x400 relay in Tokyo. Okolo has Olympic and world relay golds, while Hemida holds Egyptian national records in the 100m (11.02), 200m (22.41), and 400m indoors (52.17).
800m: Maselela and Tshite Face Off Again
Botswana’s Tshepiso Maselela, seventh in the Olympic final with a PB of 1:42.82, just set a national 1500m record of 3:30.71 in Cape Town, beating South Africa’s Tshepo Tshite (3:32.03). The two rivals meet again over two laps.
Women’s 800m: Rising Star Moraa Takes Centre Stage
Kenya’s Sarah Moraa, cousin of world champion Mary Moraa, will race fellow Kenyan Naomi Korir. Sarah claimed the world U20 title in Lima earlier this year and won two indoor meets in Metz (2:01.28) and Val de Reuil (2:01.69).
Women’s Long Jump: Bryant vs Burks
World indoor champion Claire Bryant (6.96m) headlines the women’s long jump. She’ll face fellow American Quanesha Burks, who finished fourth at the 2022 Worlds with 6.88m.
Men’s Long Jump: Manyonga Eyes Comeback
South Africa’s Luvo Manyonga, the 2017 world champion, is set to return from injury. He’ll face compatriots Rushval Samaai (world bronze 2017) and Jovan Vuuren (PB 8.30m), and American Marquis Dendy, 2016 world indoor champion.
Women’s Javelin: Van Dyk Leads Field
Olympic silver medallist Jo-Ane Van Dyk leads the javelin field after throwing a PB of 64.22m in Paris. She has already opened her season with 60.17m.
