'One race doesn't determine who I am' - Letebele takes silver behind Walaza at ASA U20 Champs

Everything seems to be going Karabo Letebele's way at the moment but rather than thinking he's arrived, the youngster will remain humble because he still believes that he has to prove himself. Yesterday the 18 year old from Vanderbijlpark clocked 10.33 to grab the silver medal behind Bayanda Walaza (10.26) in the Men's U20 100m final on Day 1 of the Athletics South Africa (ASA) U16, U18, U20 & U23 Track and Field Championships at the Green Point Athletics Stadium in Cape Town.

That performance which was the fifth fastest of his career came just two weeks after his slaying of the African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala at the ASA Grand Prix in Pretoria on 12 March which catapulted him to the status of a national star. Yet, the sprint sensation isn't reading too much into all the hype.

Leteble in action during the 2025 ASA U16, U18, U20 & U23 Track and Field Championships where he took the silver medal in the men's U20 100m behind Walaza. Photo Credit: Gerrit van der Linde.

"I don't really care about that. I just want to win the ones that are important. Beating Omanyala gave me lots of confidence. But it didn't make me think I've arrived. I haven't arrived yet. I still have to prove myself. One race doesn't determine who I am," he told #TheTopRunner.

After that stunning performance at Pilditch Stadium, where he clocked 10.19 to beat Omanyala, who holds a 9.77 continental mark, he took that form into the CGA open track and field championships at the UJ Athletics Stadium on March 15 where he ran 10.18 to improve on his lifetime best and qualified for the ASA age-group and multi event champs Which are currently underway in The Mother City. Despite finishing behind Walaza, the Athletics Vaal Triangle top runner has no hard feelings saying he has been impressed by the way that the double World Junior Champion has performed this season.

Leteble ran 10.19 to beat both Emile Erasmus of Tuks and Omanyala at the first ASA Grand Prix meet of the season at the Pilditch Athletics Stadium. Photo Credit: Cecilia van Bers.

"He deserves it. I knew it was coming," he said reflecting on Walaza's 9.99 clocking at the AGN Championships on 15 March. "He hadn't run a single 100m until then. He'd been running 400m and a few 200m. I knew big things were coming. He's been working on his endurance and he's already fast. It was expected," said the man who has improved on his 100m lifetime best four times in 2025.

The former Grey College learner has taken a lot of motivation from Walaza and would like to represent emulate the Olympic silver medalist by representing South Africa at the next edition of the World Athletics U20 championships in Eugene, Oregon in 2026. And now armed with his national U20 silver medal and the confidence he got from beating the fastest man in Africa, Letebele's rise from a footballer at Grey College to one of the most talked about young sprinters in the country is complete. He believes he can take the baton from his idol, Akani Simbine, when the multiple national 100m winner hangs his spikes.

"I'm confident I can. Obviously I’m going up against the likes of Walaza. But I'm very confident I can be the next sprint king in SA. I want to show the world that I'm capable of achieving great things."