South Africa’s teen sprint sensation Karabo Letebele made history at the 2025 Göteborg World Youth Games, held at the Slottsskogsvallen in Gothenburg, Sweden from 26-29 June.
The 18-year-old erased the Världsungdomsspelen men’s 100m record of 10.27 secs – held since 2006 by Jaysuma Saidy Ndure of the Gambia – with a blistering 10.25 (+0.8 m/s) in the heats, before running a wind-aided lifetime best of 10.17 (+2.6 m/s) in the final.
Albin Edin of IFK Göteborg club in Sweden came second in 10.66 while Magnus Kyster Gøhring of Esbjerg Atletik club in Denmark finished third in 10.72.
Letebele, widely regarded as the future of South African sprinting, will now embark on a European tour, aiming to break the elusive 10-second barrier in the coming weeks.
He rose to prominence earlier this year after running 10.19 secs to defeat Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya at the ASA Athletics Grand Prix 1 held at Pilditch Stadium in the city of Tshwane.
Managed by World Wide Scholarships (WWS), Letebele’s performance has cemented his status as one of the most promising young sprinters on the global stage.
“Karabo is the GOAT. The hardest thing for us right now is remembering that he is only an 18-year-old kid,” said Munya Maraire, CEO of WWS of his excitement about Letebele’s achievements.
“He has defeated some of the best 100m contenders in the world this season despite dealing with a few niggling injuries.
“What is so exciting about Karabo is that we have not yet gone through a full cycle of training—these times are coming while he is still in speed endurance training, which is incredible.”
“We are patient and focused. He must continue to thrive in junior categories and enjoy being a junior—there is plenty of time for him to transition into senior sprinting. Right now, he must enjoy the journey as we prepare for next year’s World Junior Championships,” Maraire added.
Karabo Letebele’s record-breaking run marks a significant milestone in his career and sets the stage for an electrifying season. With his sights set on further international success, he is poised to make waves on the global athletics scene.
The Världsungdomsspelen, also known as the Gothenburg Youth Games, is an annual youth outdoor track and field competition open to the public, with age categories from twelve to nineteen, plus senior events. First organised in 1996, it was held until 2023 at the Ullevi stadium in Gothenburg.