Letsile Tebogo became the first African to win the men’s Olympic 200 metres title on Thursday when he powered clear of American duo Kenny Bednarek and a COVID-hit Noah Lyles to claim Botswana’s first Olympic gold medal.
Tebogo, who set a national record of 9.86 when finishing sixth in 100m final, produced a dominant last 50 metres and crossed the line in 19.46 seconds, beating his chest as he become the fifth-fastest man in history over 200m.
Bednarek chased him all the way to take a second successive silver in 19.62 seconds, with Lyles, who had been hoping to become the first American to complete the sprint double since Carl Lewis 40 years ago, repeating his Tokyo bronze in 19.67.
It was the triple world champion’s first defeat in a 200m final for three years. He received medical treatment after crossing the line and after the race U.S. officials said he had tested positive for COVID on Tuesday, two days after he won the 100 metres gold.
“In response (to the test, the USOPC and USATF swiftly enacted all necessary protocols to prioritise his health, the wellbeing of our team, and the safety of fellow competitors,” USATF said in a statement.
“Our primary commitment is to ensure the safety of Team USA athletes while upholding their right to compete. After a thorough medical evaluation, Noah chose to compete tonight. We respect his decision and will continue to monitor his condition closely.”
Adding to the chaos, a yellow card appeared against Lyle’s name in the official results to mark a misconduct violation for damaging his lane box before the race start.
AFRICA’S NIGHT
The Lyles show might still hog much of the limelight, but on the track it was Tebogo and Africa’s night. It is common to see a clutch of Africans in major middle and long-distance races, but this was the first time in Olympic history that four appeared in a sprint final.
