No African athlete had ever won the half-lap race, one of the most important events, at the Olympic Games.
Tebogo dazzled with an impressive time of 19 seconds and 46 hundredths, a new African record, while silver went to American Kenneth Bednarek (19.62) and bronze to his compatriot Lyles (19.70).
The 200m podium is therefore the same as the second and third place finishers from three years ago in Tokyo, but the champion has changed: three years ago it was the Canadian Andre De Grasse, who was eliminated this time in the semi-finals.
Tebogo, 21, has finally climbed to the top of a major international podium, after winning silver in the 100 metres and bronze in the 200 metres at the World Championships in Budapest last year, in two races won by Lyles.
Botswana has thus won its first ever Olympic gold medal. It is its third medal, and all three have come from athletics.
But the news on the purple track at the Stade de France is that there was no ‘show’ from Lyles, four days after his success by five thousandths of a second in the 100 metres.
The double speed seemed within his reach because the 200 metres is his reference distance, where he is the current three-time world champion, but Tebogo gave him no option, he entered the curve very hard and in the final straight he imposed a brutal acceleration.
The other American in the competition, Erriyon Knighton (19.99), came in fourth, while Dominican Alexander Ogando (20.02) took fifth place.
Lyles sees the challenge of leaving Paris-2024 with four gold medals fading away.
In the final stretch of these Games, Lyles has the chance to seek solace in the relays.
His Team USA teammates qualified Thursday for Friday’s 4x100m final. Lyles was not in the quartet as the qualifying heat was being held on the same day as the 200m final, but he could be in the hunt for medals on Friday.
A possible final with the 4×400 meter relay would be held on Saturday.
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