Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo becomes first African to win silver at World Athletics Championship
20-year-old sprinter from Botswana, Letsile Tebogo has become the first African to win a men’s 100-meter medal at the World Athletics Championships since 1983.
The 20-year-old sprinter clocked 9.99 seconds in a sensational race won by America’s Noah Lyles, who promised gold in the final and delivered in a time of 9.83 seconds.
The main contenders from Africa included Akani Simbine of South Africa, Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, and Tebogo. Simbine faced a disqualification due to a false start in the semi-finals, while Omanyala, recognized as Africa’s fastest sprinter, secured seventh place in the final race.
Despite the elimination of defending champion Fred Kerley in the semi-finals, the 100m race drew significant attention. Since Kim Collins of St Kitts and Nevis won the 100m race in Paris in 2003, either an American or a Jamaican athlete has claimed victory in the event.
The recently concluded season has been exceptional for the young athlete, culminating in a silver medal. Notably, he holds the African record in the 200m, a feat he achieved during the 2023 London Diamond League last month, as reported by the Olympics.
With participation planned in the 200m event during the nine-day competition in Hungary, the young runner from Botswana aims to add another medal to his collection. Given his age of only 20, Tebogo has the potential to shatter various records as he enters his prime.
