Paris: Botswana's Letsile Tebogo emerged victorious, clinching the title of the new 200m Olympic champion at the Paris 2024 event on Thursday.
This emerging talent from Botswana achieved a remarkable feat, setting a new African record with a time of 19.46 seconds, securing the gold medal in front of a fervent audience at the Stade de France. In doing so, he denied the pre-race favorite, Noah Lyles, the opportunity to secure a sprint double, as reported by Olympics.com.
Lyles, who had previously claimed the Olympic 100m title in a highly dramatic manner on Sunday, finished in third place, behind American Kenneth Bednarek (19.62 seconds) and American Kenneth Bednarek (19.70 seconds), to secure the bronze medal.
Immediately following the race, Lyles disclosed that he had tested positive for COVID. This unfortunate circumstance led to him being assisted off the track in a wheelchair.
Tebogo took the moment to honor his mother, Elizabeth Seratiwa, who had passed away in May, dedicating his country's first-ever Olympic gold medal to her. He proudly displayed her birthdate on his spikes and the initials of her name, painted on his fingernails.
"I believe she could be one of the happiest people on the planet. Because she believed in me and I had so much doubt for myself," Tebogo expressed, reflecting on his journey from winning a bronze medal in the 200m at the last world championships.
Later that day, Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra fell short of retaining his gold medal in the men's javelin throw at the prestigious event, settling for silver with a best throw of 89.45 meters.
Chopra's most impressive throw came on his second attempt, but he struggled with four consecutive fouls, which ultimately prevented him from securing the gold.
After achieving the second-best performance of the season in the qualification round with a throw of 89.34 meters, Chopra was unable to surpass his season best in the final. His 89.45-meter throw was his second-best performance, falling short of retaining the gold.
