Kebinatshipi joins inaugural Grand Slam Series
Calistus Kolantsho | Monday April 7, 2025 09:20
The Olympic silver medallist will miss out on lining up in the upcoming FNB Botswana Golden Grand Prix Continental Tour, set for April 12 at the National Stadium, Gaborone. Speaking to MmegiSport, Kebinatshipi’s coach, Chilume Ntshwarang, explained that the athlete is a Diamond League finalist and he can be invited to any race. “I am expecting fair competition, nothing too big but just a build up to the season. I expect him to make the final and we will see what happens next,” Ntshwarang said. Kebinatshipi has been making waves in the 400m, he was part of the victorious 4x400m relay team, which qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics at the 2024 World Relays Championships in Nassau, Bahamas.
He went on to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics over 400m, running a personal best to reach the semi-finals. Kebinatshipi also competed in the men's 4x400m relay at the Olympics, winning a silver medal with the Botswana relay team. He is also expected to play a pivotal role in the relay team as they defend their title at the upcoming World Relays to be hosted in Guangzhou, China in May. Kingston joins Los Angeles as one of the two cities confirmed for the 2025 Slams. The event that was created by four-time Olympic gold medallist, Michael Johnson, will feature four track events, where racers and challengers will compete head-to-head in two events over the two-day Slams. Racers will receive base compensation for competing in each Slam and can earn additional prize money based on their performance. The Grand Slam has a prize pot of $12.6 million (approximately P163 million) and the category winners of the Slam will win $100,000 (approximately P1.3 million). Some of the top 400m athletes that will be featured at the event include Muzala Samukonga (Zambia), Matthew Hudson-Smith (Great Britain), Jereem Richards (Trinidad and Tobago), Quincy Hall (USA), Vernon Norwood (USA), Chris Bailey (USA), and Deandre Watkin (Jamaica).