In a stunning upset, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo claimed the 200m Olympic title on Thursday, defeating pre-race favourite Noah Lyles of the United States.
The 21-year-old Tebogo stormed to victory in a blistering time of 19.46 seconds, setting a new African record and finishing well ahead of American Kenneth Bednarek, who claimed silver in 19.62 seconds.
Lyles, the reigning world champion and 100m gold medallist at these Games, was denied a sprint double as he had to settle for bronze in 19.71 seconds.
Tebogo, a relative newcomer to the global stage, had previously won a 100m silver medal at last year’s World Championships in Budapest.
However, his performance on the Olympic stage represented a stunning breakthrough as he marked his first-ever Games appearance with a historic gold.
The Botswana sprinter, who held a personal best of 19.50 seconds coming into the event, lined up against Lyles, whose world-leading time of 19.31 seconds made him the overwhelming favourite.
But Tebogo refused to be intimidated, powering down the home stretch to finish well clear of his rivals and secure Botswana’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in athletics.
JN/APA