Busang Collen Kebinatshipi etched his name into history on Thursday 18 September 2025, becoming Botswana’s first-ever men’s world champion in the 400m at the World Athletics Championships, storming to a national record of 43.53 seconds at Japan’s National Stadium to claim gold and secure the 10th-fastest time ever in the event.

The 21-year-old, a Paris 2024 Olympic 4x400m silver medalist, led wire-to-wire in rainy conditions, fending off Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards, who took silver in a national-record 43.72—also a world top-20 mark.

Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori completed a historic podium, earning bronze in a season-best 44.20, marking the nation’s first individual world championship medals in track and field.

The trio’s triumph underscored Botswana’s rising sprint prowess, building on their Olympic relay legacy. Kebinatshipi, reflecting on his fearless run, told reporters, “This is my first title, and it feels crazy... I had no fear in the final.”

His performance smashed his previous personal best of 44.07 from Paris and elevated him past icons like Michael Johnson (43.39, 1995) on the all-time list, though still behind Wayde van Niekerk’s 43.03 world record from 2016.