The men’s 200m final was shocking as Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo blazed through the line in 19.46 seconds, the fourth-fastest time ever, to claim Olympic gold.
It was an amazing feat of Tebogo, who not only set a new African 200m record but also won the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal.
Tebogo was congratulated first by second-place finisher Kenny Bednareck, who took silver with a time of 19.62, giving Bednareck his second 200m silver in back-to-back Games.
The race was even more personal for Tebogo because he lost his mother last May. After the race, he dedicated his gold medal to her while displaying his spikes which he had written her birthdate on.
Letsile Tebogo dedicates his Olympic GOLD medal to his lovely mother Seratiwa Tebogo who passed away in May.
— Usher Komugisha (@UsherKomugisha) August 8, 2024
His nails have her initials. She watched him last year in Budapest become the first African man to win a medal in the 100m at the World Athletics Championships. He’s 21. pic.twitter.com/Fp6HCQPKkQ
“I believe she could be one of the happiest people on the planet,” said an emotional Tebogo. “Because she believed in me and I had so much doubt for myself.”
The 21-year-old champion also paid respect to Africa and all on the continent who supported him.
“It means a lot to the African continent because now they see Africa as a sprinting home,” said Tebogo, who is now the first sprinter from Africa to claim gold in the men’s 200m. “So we just had to make sure that the message is loud and clear.”
“It didn’t take so long, they were just waiting for me to step up,” he added.
Tebogo might be unfamiliar to most, but he’s no overnight success.
At the age of 18, he ran a 9.96 in the 100m, becoming the second U-20 athlete in history to break 10 seconds. At the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, he took silver in the 100m, becoming Africa’s first-ever run to make the 100m podium at the Worlds.
