Young but mighty Tebogo puts off American duo Bednarek and Lyles to win Olympic 200m gold for Botswana
It was predicted after the Atlanta 96 Summer Games that Africa has the potential to win an Olympic gold medal in the men’s 200m event, but no one ever predicted that it could come from a twenty year old Letsile Tebogo until the ‘Schoolboy’ smashed down Kenneth Bednarek and Noah Lyles to make that enviable history at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France this evening.
Sprinting before a seventy thousand capacity crowd at the iconic Stade de France on Thursday and millions of people watching through various mediums across the globe, Tebogo ran 19.46 seconds to win the title.
Letsile who’s enjoying a wonderful Games took off flamboyantly well and broke into the lead after a marvelous bend display to sign his name in gold.
With Noah Lyles [19.70] running his signature event, many had tipped the American to win the title, but in the final analysis he could only watch his fellow countryman – Bednarek [19.62] and Tebogo cross the line ahead of him as he looked completely lethargic.
The Batswana sprint sensation [Tebogo] became the fastest African sprinter of all-time in the history of the men’s 200m on Sunday, July 23 having ran 19.50 seconds to finish second, behind Noah Lyles [19.47] at the 2023 London Diamond League, beating Frankie Fredericks’ 19.68 seconds on August 1, 1996.
Then on Thursday, August 08, 2024 set a new African 200m record at the Olympics to cement his name in history.
Frankie Fredeicks of Namibia paved the way for Africa at the Centennial Olympic Stadium in the US when he finished second in the men’s 200m behind home boy – Michael Johnson, and ahead of Ato Boldon of Trinidad & Tobego.
By James K. Attaglo Wilson
