Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo meets Pope Francis at Vatican
Ukrainian hurdler Anna Ryzhykova also met the Pope, who signed artefacts belonging to both athletes ahead of Friday's Golden Gala in Rome.
Athletics
Botswana's Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo had a special meeting on Wednesday (28 August) ahead of competing in this Friday's Golden Gala Rome Diamond League athletics meet.
Tebogo, who beat Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles to win men's 200m gold at Paris 2024, visited the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis, who granted him, his coach, and Ukrainian hurdler Anna Ryzhykova an audience.
At the Holy See, the Pope signed Tebogo's shoes with which he won Olympic gold and are inscribed with the initials and date of birth of his late mother, who died in May.
Letsile Tebogo shows his shoes, dedicated to his late mother, to the camera after winning gold at Paris 2024
Tebogo's mother's death interrupted his season and led the 21-year-old to consider his future, he admitted.
"I am sure that my mother is happy, she was a woman of faith," Tebogo said of meeting the Pope, according to the Italian Athletics Federation.
"When she died of breast cancer after a long battle, I thought of quitting sport.
"For my sister, who's 12, and me, [my mother] was and is everything. Sport and my mother's infinite love allowed me to realise everything in life, even up to Olympic gold.
"I carry her with every breath and every step. And now and then I give a kiss up to the sky for her."
The Pope also signed Ryzhykova's t-shirt, offering his prayers for both Tebogo's late mother and the Ukrainian people.
In return, Pope Francis received a running bib from the Golden Gala, with his name in Italian – Francesco – written on it.