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Letsile Tebogo stuns Noah Lyles to win men’s 200m gold
BY SEAN MCALISTER
As Letsile Tebogo crossed the finish line as the new 200m Olympic champion at Paris 2024, he slapped his hand against his chest.
The rising star from Botswana stormed to victory in an African record of 19.46 secondsin front of a roaring Stade de France crowd on Thursday (8 August), denying pre-race favourite Noah Lyles the coveted sprint double.
Lyles, who won the Olympic 100m title in dramatic fashion on Sunday, was not able to live with the impressive pace of the 21-year-old and finished third behind fellow American Kenneth Bednarek (19.62) to take bronze in 19.70.
Immediately after the race, Lyles revealed that he tested positive for COVID. The track superstar had to be helped off the track in a wheelchair.
Tebogo dedicated his country’s first-ever Olympic gold to his mother Elizabeth Seratiwa, who passed away last May. He showed his spikes, displaying her date of birth into the cameras and had the initials of her name painted on his fingernails.
“I believe she could be one of the happiest people on the planet” said an emotional Tebogo who had won 200m bronze at last year’s world championships.
Tebogo also paid tribute to the people of Africa, as the first sprinter from the continent to ever claim an Olympic gold medal in the men’s 200m.
“It means a lot to the African continent because now they see Africa as a sprinting home,” he said. “So we just had to make sure that the message is loud and clear.”
“It didn’t take so long, they were just waiting for me to step up.”
The new African star is one of more than 600 IOC scholarship-holders at Paris 2024.
LETSILE TEBOGO: FROM FOOTBALL HOPEFUL TO OLYMPIC CHAMPION
As a youngster growing up in Botswana, Tebogo was a talented athlete with a love for football. However, while speed was unquestionable even back then, his ability with a ball at his feet was less obvious.
“I used to run past people and won medals. I also played football. Every time though I went to play football I was being benched,” he explained in an interview with Runblog.com.
So football’s loss turned out to be track & field’s gain, as the sprinter went from strength to strength, becoming the second U-20 athlete ever to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m with a world record run of 9.96 seconds aged just 18.
At last year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest, he continued his dramatic rise, winning silver to become the first-ever African runner to reach the 100m podium at the Worlds.
While this was an incredible moment for his country, Tebogo was already thinking about the wider significance of the medal. This was not just a victory for a nation but a continent so famous for its distance runners that was now producing sprinters to compete with the traditional powerhouses of the USA and the Caribbean.
“This medal isn’t for me, it’s for Botswana, for Africa,” he said at the time. “Because Africa has been short of medals in men’s sprints.”
While this year began with hope and promise, tragedy struck when Tebogo’s mother passed away earlier in May. For the young sprinter, with his first Olympics in front of him, this competition would not be just a chance to represent Africa, it would be an opportunity to honour his mother.
In the 100m final last Sunday, Tebogo was one of the athletes most fancied for the podium. However, in the closest final in history, he was edged out of the medal positions, finishing the race in sixth.
Small margins, he would learn, can be the difference between glory and deep-cutting disappointment.
But just four days later, flanked by the world’s most feared sprinters, Tebogo took the race by the scruff of the neck, recording his greatest victory and with it paying a memorable tribute to his mother.
“She’s watching up there, and she’s really, really happy,” he said.
PARIS 2024 ATHLETICS: MEN’S 200M PODIUM
Gold: Letsile Tebogo (Botswana)
Silver: Kenneth Bednarek (USA)
Bronze: Noah Lyles (USA)
SOURCE: PARIS2024
BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Blessing Waison and Fortunate Chidzivo took top honors at the 2025 Econet Victoria Falls Marathon yesterday, as Zimbabwean long-distance runners excelled at Africa’s most prestigious road race.
Econet General Manager – Marketing, Mrs Tariro Muchena (left), and Finance Director, Mr Chengeto Moyo, present the winner’s prize to men’s marathon champion, Blessing Waison, at the 2025 Econet Victoria Falls Marathon, while Victoria Falls Mayor, Mr Prince Moyo, looks on
The event, which featured athletes from over 40 countries, saw Waison storm to victory in the men’s full marathon, clocking 2 hours, 13 minutes, and 16 seconds. He narrowly beat decorated Olympian Isaac Mpofu in a thrilling duel that brought thousands of spectators to their feet.
Godwin Katakura followed closely in third, completing an all-Zimbabwean podium sweep in the 42.2km race. The trio’s success came with bigger rewards this year, after Econet Wireless doubled the total prize purse to $50,000.
Waison walked away with $3,000, while Mpofu and Katakura earned $2,000 and $1,500, respectively.
In the women’s marathon, Chidzivo delivered a commanding performance, clocking 2 hours and 42 minutes to claim another major title in her illustrious career. Ethel Pangiso and Phillipa Dube completed the women’s podium in second and third place, respectively.
Rising star Wayne Kabondo turned heads in the men’s 21km half marathon, overcoming a formidable field to finish in 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds. Kabondo pocketed $1,500 for his efforts.
In the women’s 21km race, Caroline Mhandu crossed the line in 1 hour, 17 minutes, and 50 seconds, ahead of Miriam Sibanda and Melody Kaseke.
The marathon’s inclusive spirit was evident in the 18km Specially Abled Races, which saw uplifting performances across different categories. Godknows Hamadziripi claimed the men’s tricycle title, while Samson Muroyiwa won the handcycle event.
Among the women, Stella Jongwe triumphed in the handcycle race, and Ratidzo Tomu took first position in the tricycle category.
Organized by Econet Wireless in partnership with Wild Horizons, the 2025 edition drew over 5,000 participants and spectators from more than 40 countries. The marathon route, widely regarded as Africa’s most scenic, winds through game reserves and offers spectacular views of the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls.
https://x.com/vic_falls_live/status/1941861569450725776?s=46
Beyond the races, this year’s event featured live music, traditional dance, health expos, and community wellness activities.
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