"Qualifying for the Olympics feels so good; getting to this stage makes all the hard work over the years worth every minute of sweat. These are my first Olympics and I do not have international experience so I just know that a PB can get me to the final and in the finale anything can happen"

"If I am given a chance to contribute, I will do that wholeheartedly although one has to consider giving first priority to young and upcoming individuals"

"He told me that I can be a good hurdler because I have good qualities that can make me go far in hurdling. A good hurdler must have 800m endurance and 400m strength. You need to have a good hurdle technique and rhythm. Mentally you have to be strong because hurdling is more demanding"

"Agents would only be associated with you because they want to make money out of you"

"the establishment of the association will bring former and current Olympians together, so that they take part in national duties varying from officiating, coaches as well as the technical aspect"

"Worldwide Olympian associations have long been formed; this is a great move by Botswana as it had been behind"

"Yes it’s disappointing that Tisang missed qualifying for the Olympics but what I know is that he is one of the best hurdlers in the world and he is going to come back stronger. There is competition between us but there is no rivalry, we just push each other to get to our best. For me it’s a blessing to have him as my friend and training partner"

"Sometimes it is all about discipline. I believe that most of us could be making a lot money but the way we handle ourselves lets us down"

"During my schooling days I specialised in 100m and 200m sprints; Bolt was the one we all looked up to"

"Most athletes do not take their time to seek for advice hence they fall prey to some agents who do not want the best for the careers"

"It is good that former Olympians will not be forgotten because once upon a time they raised the national flag high as such they should be recognised whilst giving back what they have learned back to the sports community"

"I want to retire in top shape. That's what I'm planning to do."

"My retirement is not different from that of football players who always announce their retirement from international events but keep playing for their individual clubs at home."

"I don't want to retire when I'm depressed."

"I have always made it clear that I provide for my family through athletics and I won’t retire, especially that I still feel energetic and fit to compete. I want people to understand this and get it right so that they are not confused when they see me competing abroad."

"I don’t like to judge others. Most of the times, I try and look at the fact that we are different and have different reaction, thinking, and reasons for doing things our own way."

"It doesn't matter whether I run good or I ran bad, it's my last season so I have to enjoy it."

"I don’t know why people are so surprised by my return because I have never said I has retired from athletics. What I said was that I was retiring from international athletics which concern national team events."

"I feel good when I see all these athletes in Botswana doing well, because most of them have seen me do it - so that's why they are doing this now."

"I vomited once and they decided that I was sick."

"I have unfinished business with the World Championships."

"Everything came crumbling down! It was my first time crying."

"It wasn't a smooth journey because to be successful, I had to jump many hurdles, but the one thing I told myself was that I was never going to give up on this."

"I’m satisfied, but I know I can run faster."

"Records are meant to be broken."

"The moment you talk about the world record is the moment you mess up your training programme."

"That 19 seconds felt so peaceful."

"When you get on to the track, it's all about business."

"Without sports in my life, I don’t even want to think where I would be."

"I’m happy sport came in because there are a lot of youngsters who I know now are behind bars. Those are the same people that I used to hang around with."

"I like having an element of mystery and want to leave people wondering: where is he, what’s he doing?"

"If I don’t stumble, I can win this race."

"I’ll always carry her as an inspiration—it’s not every day that you get a supportive parent behind your back in every decision that you make. She was able to show us the right path."

"When we finish, we become friends and then life goes on."

"There’s a lot of pain that is inside that needs to go out, and the only way I can do that is through running."

"I felt like it was over for me—it was over for athletics. I just needed to hand in the boots. I didn’t have the confidence to go out there and do what I have to do."

"The Olympic gold has opened a lot of doors for the team, because I can't do this alone."

"I now have multiple opportunities to support myself as multiple brands want to be associated with my name."

"Once the governments are on board, it makes a massive difference to the sport."

"That transition was what I’d been dreaming of since I started athletics—that was the validation of the potential I didn’t see growing up."

"Africans are stepping up and we see an increased number of African athletes in global competitions."

"It's different in every country. When you get to my country, they understand, they know and they feel when to just let me be."

"I was scared, I didn’t know what to expect. Nobody knew who Letsile was back in 2023."

"The support has been overwhelming. I believe this has changed my life and also impacted many lives in my home country."

"That's always been my goal, to snap their dominance."

"It was sad to see only two nations rule the sport for decades."

"I wanted to make a breakthrough for African athletes."

"I aspired to be the one to make it happen and then take in the world's response. And that reaction has been heartwarming."

"Athletics has given me so many opportunities, and I want young people to believe in themselves, dream big and enjoy the sport."

"Wherever you are, whatever you have, just make sure you put in enough effort and dedication."