Paris Olympics: Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo Wins Africa’s First Gold in 200m

Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo clinched a historic victory in the 200m at the Paris 2024 Olympics, earning Africa’s first gold medal in the event.

Tebogo, 21, crossed the finish line with an African record time of 19.46 seconds, outpacing American Kenneth Bednarek, who finished in 19.62 seconds.

Tebogo’s victory came as a surprise, particularly as he bested Noah Lyles, who had hoped to complete a sprint double.

Lyles, who had been crowned the world’s fastest man in the 100m, struggled in the 200m and finished in third place with a time of 19.70 seconds.

Following the race, it was revealed that Lyles had tested positive for Covid-19 and required assistance off the track in a wheelchair.

Despite the setback, Lyles had aimed to be the first man since Usain Bolt in 2016 to win both the 100m and 200m at the Olympics.

However, Tebogo’s performance overshadowed Lyles’ ambitions. Tebogo, who had previously won bronze in the 200m at the World Championships last year and silver in the 100m in Budapest, marked his Olympic debut with a gold medal.

Tebogo’s impressive time of 19.46 seconds was notably faster than his personal best of 19.50 seconds, achieved earlier in the season.

His victory at the Stade de France was a standout moment, highlighting his emergence as a new star in sprinting and securing Botswana’s first-ever Olympic gold medal.