Olympics 200m champion Letsile Tebogo has opened up on how his new-found fame has greatly affected his life.
Tebogo has become a global superstar especially since winning Olympics gold and he says that fame has taken away his freedom which is now making his life difficult.
The 21-year-old has revealed that he is now struggling to adjust to the fact that he cannot walk out freely and it is affecting him to the extent he wanted to quit social media.
Kenny Bednarek had a great start off the blocks, something that paid off well for him with Letsile Tebogo's poor execution costing him a win.
“I wanted to step down from social media but I couldn’t because there are a lot collaborations that need to be done adverting and events,” Tebogo told on Saturday.
“I am not a free human being these days, I am just a superstar in my country which I don’t like because I cannot just go to the mall and get something to eat for myself. I have to send somebody to do it.
“It leads me to overthink so many things like why did I become this person why didn’t I choose another path. I cannot go back to my ways I have to stick to this way going forward and see how I can overcome the whole situation in my head.”
Tebogo was speaking after finishing second in the 200m at the Diamond League final in Brussels after American Kenny Bednarek won the race.
The sprinter looked to have been affected by the exertions of the season when he has featured in four races post-Olympics as he struggled off the block and could not catch up with Bendarek who won in 19.67 seconds as he settled for second in 19.80.
Tebogo had recorded Diamond League wins in Silesia, Lausanne, Rome and Zurich before the Brussels meeting.
Faith Cherotich outpaced Olympic champion Winfred Yavi in a thrilling race to claim the Diamond League steeplechase title.