Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo clinched an unexpected gold medal in the 200m event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, preventing American Noah Lyles from achieving a sprint double.
The 21-year-old Tebogo surged ahead of his competitors, setting an African record with a time of 19.46 seconds. He finished ahead of American Kenneth Bednarek, who completed the race in 19.62 seconds.
Lyles, who was crowned the world’s fastest man just days earlier in an incredibly close 100m final, struggled to keep up and ultimately finished third with a time of 19.70 seconds, mirroring his bronze medal performance from the Tokyo Olympics. Following the race, it was revealed that Lyles had tested positive for COVID-19, and he required assistance off the track in a wheelchair.
Tebogo, who had previously gained international recognition as a world bronze medallist in the 200m last year and won silver in the 100m at the Budapest World Championships, marked his Olympic debut with a historic victory, securing Botswana’s first-ever Olympic gold.
Despite a slower personal best in the 200m of 19.50 seconds compared to Lyles’ 19.31, Tebogo made a powerful statement on the track. Lyles, who had entered the competition to a wave of enthusiasm, found himself in third place after a sluggish start and was unable to reclaim the lead.
Bednarek managed to replicate his silver medal performance from the Tokyo Games, as well as from the 2022 World Championships, but could not catch Tebogo, who raced ahead to make history for his country.