At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo wrote a new chapter in African sporting history by becoming the first athlete from the continent to win a Gold Medal in the Men’s 200m.
In an impressive performance, Tebogo overcame tough competition from the United States to step onto the podium, affirming his excellence and breakthrough on the global stage. It was not only a personal victory but also a proud moment for Africa as Tebogo made his name and the continent shine on the Olympic stage.
Tebogo also set a national record of 9.86 seconds when he finished 6th in the 100m final. He excelled in the final 50m to finish in 19.46 seconds, beating his chest with pride as he became the 5th fastest male athlete in history over the 200m.
Kenny Bednarek chased Tebogo all the way to his second consecutive silver medal in 19.62 seconds. Noah Lyles (100m gold) – who was expected to become the first American to complete the sprint double since Carl Lewis 40 years ago – settled for bronze in 19.67 seconds.
It was also the first defeat for three-time world champion Lyles in three years. Just two days after winning the 100m gold, Lyles required medical treatment after testing positive for Covid at the finish line.
Ahead of the 200m final, the famous American Noah Lyles received a yellow card for damaging the starting block, an incident that made him the center of much discussion.
However, when the starting gun sounded, attention quickly turned to Letsile Tebogo, who made history with a brilliant performance. While many were waiting for Lyles to prove his mettle, the night belonged to Tebogo and Africa.
It was the first time in Olympic history that four Africans had competed in the men’s 200m final, marking a major step forward for the continent’s athletics. Although the other three finished in the bottom three, Tebogo’s gold medal victory not only brought personal glory but also set a major record for African athletics.
Tebogo is proud to become the first African athlete to win the 200m at the Olympics. Photo: REUTERS
The first African to win the 200m, Tebogo proudly shared: “I am an Olympic champion, something I never dreamed of in my life. It is a great moment. I came here with a little bit of energy left, because yesterday after the final, the coach said to me ‘this is your race’. I knew Kenny would break away, so I tried to stay close to him. I had good speed to break away without getting tired. And that’s what I did. When I saw Kenny getting weaker, Noah was dropped, which meant I was an Olympic champion. It meant a lot to everyone, to the country, to the continent and to my family.”
At the decisive corner, “second-place specialist” Bednarek accelerated strongly on the eighth lap but was still not fast enough to beat Tebogo.
“I don’t think I ran my best, the sprint was really intense. There’s the world championships next year. I’ll come back stronger. I’m looking forward to bigger things in the next four years,” said Paris Olympic silver medallist Bednarek.
