"Letsile Tebogo deserves that"-Fred Kerley reacts as Botswana sprinter beats COVID-tested Noah Lyles for 200m gold at Paris Olympics

Fred Kerley rallied behind Letsile Tebogo of Botswana as he became the 200m Olympic champion at the ongoing Paris Games. He defeated COVID-positive Noah Lyles and his compatriot Kenny Bednarek to secure the gold.

Running in lane seven, Tebogo burst off the blocks and took the lead as he approached the finish line. The Botswanan was running to pay tribute to his late mother, who passed away this year in May, and he won the race after clocking in a time of 19.46 seconds, setting a new national record in the process. With that, he also became the first African man to win the 200m Olympic title. Meanwhile, he also became the fifth-fastest 200m runner in the world.

On the other hand, Kenny Bednarek bagged his second consecutive 200m silver with a time of 19.62 seconds, while Noah Lyles, the reigning 100m Olympic champion, was reported to be diagnosed with COVID-19 before the 200m finals. He finished in third place after recording 19.70 seconds on the clock to take home the bronze.

Following 21-year-old Botswanan's victory in the 100m Paris Olympics, bronze medalist Fred Kerley took to his X handle and congratulated Tebogo, writing:

"LETSILE TEBOGO deserves that."

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"Me carrying her through every stride" - Letsile Tebogo talks about his mother

Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 13 - Source: Getty

After winning the finals, Letsile Tebogo removed one of his running spikes and showed it to the camera with "E.S.T. 23-12-1980" etched on it. The date that his spike carried was actually his mother Seratiwa Tebogo's date of birth, whom he lost on May 19 of this year after a short period of illness. She was one of his biggest supporters, and the runner was in the US competing in the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix at the time when he received the news of her passing.

He was considering to retire after her demise but she became one of the reasons for him to continue. Speaking about his mother, Tebogo stated (via the Independent):

"It’s basically me carrying her through every stride that I take inside the field. She’s watching up there, and she’s really, really happy."

Apart from the 200m title, Letsile Tebogo also ran a sub-10 time of 9.86 seconds during the 100m finals, setting a new national record for himself. However, despite his blazing fast speed, he finished in sixth place and could not make it to the podium.