Letsile Tebogo dedicates Olympics medal to late mum after defeating Lyles

• Letsile Tebogo took down Noah Lyles to become the new Olympic champion over the 200m in Paris, France
• Lyles had been regarded as the favourite in the race to complete the double days after winning the 100m title
• Tebogo beautifully dedicated his win to his late mother, Seratiwa Tebogo, who passed on in May after a short illness

Letsile Tebogo dedicated his surprise win in the men's 200m to his late mother, Seratiwa Tebogo, who passed on in May.

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Tebogo stunned a star-studded field, including race-favourite Noah Lyles, to become the new champion over the distance.

Letsile Tebogo celebrates after winning the men's 200m final at the Paris Olympics. Photo by Martin Bernetti.
Source: Getty Images

The Botswana athlete ran a new African record of 19.46 seconds. It was a dominant race from the 100m world silver medalist, who took charge of the race as soon as they came around the bend.

A steady run saw him hold off America's Kenny Bednarek, who was second with a time of 19.62. Lyles could only manage a third-place finish, crossing the line with 19.70 seconds.

Letsile Tebogo's mother

After the race, Tebogo held up his boot to show the year his mother was born.

Tebogo's mother was an influential figure in her son's career. She was spotted in various track meets, most notably at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, last year.

He took silver in the men's 100m before winning bronze in the men's 200m in Hungary.

The win is now a relief for Tebogo, who failed to shine in the 100m. He reached the final, where he set a new national record of 9.86 seconds, but he was only sixth in a race won by Lyles.

Noah Lyles shares emotional message

Legit.ng earlier reported that Noah Lyles inspired his fans with a message of resilience and belief after winning Gold at the Paris Olympics with a finish time of 9.784 seconds.

His victory, marked by a finish time of 9.784 seconds, represented more than just a record-breaking sprint—it was a triumph over a lifetime of challenges.

Lyles took to social media not to boast but to inspire. His message was simple yet powerful: obstacles do not define you.

Source: TUKO.co.ke