21-year-old Letsile Tebogo of Botswana pulled off the shocker of the Olympics in the men’s 200m final, claiming gold with an electrifying victory in 19.46 seconds. Thanks to Tebogo, Botswana has won its first-ever Olympic gold medal and third Olympic medal of any color.
"It was really a beautiful race for me," Tebogo said. “It means a lot to the African continent because now they see Africa as a sprinting home, so we just had to make sure that the message is loud and clear."
Americans Kenny Bednarek, Noah Lyles and Erriyon Knighton finished 2-3-4, matching their result at the Tokyo Olympics.
Bednarek, who finished in 19.62 seconds, is now a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 200m. Lyles — who entered as a massive favorite for gold — has claimed bronze for the second time. Lyles’ time of 19.70 seconds is nearly a full 0.40 seconds below his personal best of 19.31.
For Lyles, the defeat in his signature event means he’ll fall short of his goal to become the first American man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to complete the 100m-200m Olympic double. Only nine men in history have achieved that feat, and the number will stay there until at least 2028. The loss to Tebogo also marks Lyles' first 200m defeat since the Tokyo Games, ending a three-year streak.
Lyles fell to the ground seconds after crossing the finish line and needed to be helped off the track with medical assistance. It was revealed on the air minutes later that he had been diagnosed with COVID two days prior to the competition but elected to compete regardless.
“I woke up early at about 5 a.m. on Tuesday morning and was feeling really horrible," Lyles said. "Unfortunately, it came up that I was positive for COVID.
"My first thought was not to panic. I’ve run in worse conditions. ... I’ve never been more proud of myself than for coming out here and getting a bronze medal."
Bednarek, meanwhile, has delivered on a major promise. When he booked his spot on the U.S. Olympic team in June, he teased his Paris goals in his post-race interview.
"I'm gonna get him next time," Bednarek said, staring Lyles down as he spoke.
On Thursday in Paris, Bednarek did just that, eclipsing his U.S. teammate by .08 seconds for silver.
"Noah’s going to say whatever he does," Bednarek said. "I just let my feet do the talking.”
With this gold medal, the young Botswanan Tebogo has elevated himself to the elite level of his sport. His time of 19.46 seconds sets an African record in the 200m. At 21, he becomes the youngest gold medalist in the men's 200m since American Bobby Joe Morrow in 1956.
At 2023 Worlds in Budapest, Tebogo took silver, finishing just behind Lyles. That put the world on notice for the first time. Now, he's an Olympic champion and is set to compete for major titles with Lyles, Bednarek and Knighton for much of the coming decade.
Tebogo's victory comes on the heels of a difficult year. He lost his mother, Seratiwa, in May. As he prepared for the Olympics, he engraved his nails with her initials and dedicated his gold medal to her.
"She’s watching up there," Tebogo said. "And she’s really, really happy."