Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo beats Noah Lyles, US trio in 200M

Tebogo Makes History as the First African to Win Olympic 200-Meter Gold

On Thursday, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana etched his name in history by becoming the first African athlete to win the Olympic 200-meter title. Tebogo blazed through the track in 19.46 seconds, securing Botswana’s first-ever gold medal and outpacing the American duo of Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles.

Noah Lyles, who had previously claimed gold in the 100 meters, shared a warm embrace with Tebogo after the race. However, Lyles’ celebrations were cut short when he was seen seeking assistance from trainers. It was later revealed by US Track officials that Lyles had tested positive for COVID-19 two days prior to the race.

Tebogo, who had won a bronze medal at the World Championships the previous year and set a national record of 9.86 seconds in the 100 meters in Paris, delivered a commanding performance. His victory in the 200 meters not only earned him gold but also made him the fifth-fastest man in history in the event. Remarkably, Tebogo had already beaten Lyles in the preliminary rounds of the same event.

Kenny Bednarek gave a strong chase but had to settle for his second consecutive Olympic silver, clocking in at 19.62 seconds. Lyles, aiming to become the first American to complete the sprint double since Carl Lewis achieved the feat 40 years ago, finished third with a time of 19.67 seconds.

In the aftermath of the race, a yellow card was marked against Lyles’ name in the official results, following the announcement by US officials and NBC Sports that he had competed despite his COVID-19 diagnosis.