Botswana's Letsile Tebogo created history when he won Botswana's first ever Olympic gold medal and the first ever gold medal in the 200m sprints by an African athlete. Later, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone confirmed her championship credentials as she claimed gold for the US while breaking her own world record in the women's 400m hurdles.

Botswana's Letsile Tebogo and Team USA's Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone lit up the Stade de France stadium at Paris Olympics 2024 in the track and field arena on Thursday, 8 August.

Botswana's first gold

Botswana's Letsile Tebogo created history early when he won Botswana's first ever Olympic gold medal and the first ever gold medal in the 200m sprints by an African athlete.

advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove adsTebogo clocked in at 19.46sec, despite easing up with around 15m to the finish line, with the fifth-fastest time in 200m history.

Tebogo was out of the blocks at express speed and just continued to accelerate. He had the US's Kenny Bednarek for company outside him, but once he got into his stride in the home straight he tore away from the pack.

Bednarek claimed the silver medal, as he did in Tokyo in 19.62secs. The 100m Olympic champion and favourite to claim gold, Noah Lyles, was third, also the same placing as in the previous Games, in 19.70secs.

Lyles stayed seated for an extended period after the race and seemed to struggle to breathe. It was later revealed by USA Track and Field that Lyles was diagnosed with Covid-19 on Tuesday,...