The men’s 200m final at the Paris Olympics, a highly anticipated event, concluded early today with Letsile Tebogo of Botswana winning gold. Tebogo, just 21, achieved a time of 19.46 seconds, setting a new African record and becoming the first athlete from the continent to win the Olympic 200m gold.
American Kenneth Bednarek claimed the silver medal, while Noah Lyles, who was considered a strong contender and recently crowned the world’s fastest man, finished with the bronze.
However, controversy surrounds Lyles as the American Athletics Association confirmed he tested positive for Covid-19 two days prior to the race. Despite the diagnosis, Lyles chose to compete, leading to concerns about the potential risk posed to other athletes. Foreign media also reported that Lyles was seen being wheeled away in a wheelchair post-race, highlighting the seriousness of his condition.
The decision to compete while infected has drawn criticism, with accusations that Lyles endangered the health of his competitors.
