Letsile Tebogo made history for Botswana at the Paris 2024 Games on Thursday (8 August), securing his nation's first-ever Olympic gold medal with a remarkable victory in the 200m.
In a stunning performance, Tebogo outpaced USA's Kenny Bednarek and 100m champion Noah Lyles, setting a new African record of 19.46 seconds. This time not only earned the 21-year-old his maiden Olympic title but also propelled him to fifth place on the world all-time list.
Bednarek took silver with a time of 19.62 seconds, while Lyles claimed bronze in 19.70 seconds-the fastest time ever recorded for third place in any race-repeating their podium finishes from Tokyo 2020.
American sprinter Erriyon Knighton, a two-time world medallist, finished just outside the medals in fourth place with a time of 19.99 seconds. Alexander Ogando from the Dominican Republic came in fifth, with Zimbabwe's Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba finishing sixth and eighth respectively. Liberia's Joseph Fahnbulleh placed seventh, making this the first occasion Zimbabwe has had two sprinters in an Olympic 200m final.
Tebogo appeared composed as he took to the track, while Bednarek roused the crowd and Lyles enthusiastically bounced out, full of energy. Positioned in lane seven, Tebogo found himself flanked by Bednarek to his right and Knighton and Lyles to his left. As the athletes powered out of the blocks and rounded the curve, Tebogo edged ahead of his American competitors, eventually pulling away and even taking a moment to celebrate as he approached the finish line, glancing up at the screen and thumping his chest.
