Letsile Tebogo, Botswanan’s 100-meter sprinter, made history by becoming the first African to win a medal in the men’s 100m at the World Athletics Championships.
The 19-year-old Botswanan sprinter Letsile Tebogo ran 9.99 seconds in a thrilling race won by American Noah Lyles, who fulfilled his promise of gold with a time of 9.83 seconds.
Africans had their hopes in Africa’s Akani Simbine, Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, and Tebogo.
Simbine got out of the race in the semi-final for a false start, while Omanyala – Africa’s fastest man – finished seventh in the final.
Kim Collins of St. Kitts and Nevis was the last non-American or Jamaican to win the men’s 100m at the World Athletics Championships, taking gold in Paris in 2003. Since then, the event has been dominated by athletes from the United States and Jamaica. However, there are a number of African sprinters who are making waves on the international stage, including Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, and Akani Simbine of South Africa.
“I said I was the one!” -Lyles
USA’s Noah Lyles takes the GOLD MEDAL in the Men’s 100m final at the #WorldAthleticsChamps narrowly ahead of Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo. pic.twitter.com/2rgjvx0Lpq
— SuperSport ? (@SuperSportTV) August 20, 2023
Tebogo made history at WAC
Africa is known for its long- and middle-distance runners, but Letsile Tebogo’s silver medal in the men’s 100m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships is the continent’s first ever medal in the event. This is a major breakthrough for African sprinting, and it is sure to inspire a new generation of athletes.
The silver medal is a fitting end to a remarkable season for the young sprinter, who will also run in the 200m. He is the current African record holder in the event, having set the mark in the London Diamond League last month. Tebogo is only 20 years old, so he has the potential to break even more records in the years to come.