Tens of thousands of people gathered at the National Stadium in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, today to celebrate Letsile Tebogo, the sprinter who brought the country its first Olympic gold medal. The 21-year-old athlete secured first place in the 200-meter race, triumphing over Americans Kenny Bednarek and Noah Lyles.
This victory marked the first time an African athlete has won gold in this event, and Tebogo set a new African record with a time of 19.46 seconds. As the Olympic delegation arrived, enthusiastic fans waved Botswana's blue and black national flag. The athletes were paraded through the city on an open-top bus, greeted by cheering crowds who were granted a national holiday by the president in honor of this historic achievement.
In addition to his individual gold medal, Tebogo and his teammates secured a silver medal in the men's 4x400m relay, bringing Botswana’s total Olympic medal count to four. Before the celebrations at the stadium, hundreds of supporters gathered at the Gaborone airport to welcome the delegation.
The festivities began with dancers in traditional attire made of animal skins and adorned with beads. Botswana's president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, also joined the celebration, even dancing with the crowd while an aide held an umbrella to shield him from the sun.
Just two years and four days ago, Tebogo narrowly lost to Israeli sprinter Blessing Afrifa in a photo finish at the World Under-20 Championship. Since then, Tebogo’s career has skyrocketed, placing him among the top athletes in the world. After his victory in the 200 meters, Tebogo dedicated his gold medal to his mother, who passed away in May after a long battle with a serious illness.
He showed the cameras his running shoes, which had her birth date inscribed on them. "I carry her with every step I take," he said, explaining, "I take her with me, and it gives me a lot of motivation. I chose to put her birth date, not her death date, to honour her."
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