Botswana gets the afternoon off to celebrate its first Olympic gold

President Mokgweetsi Masisi gave Botswana the afternoon off on Friday to celebrate Letsile Tebogo, the country’s first gold medallist and the first African to be crowned 200-metre Olympic champion.

Masisi hailed the 21-year-old sprinter as “Botswana’s Sensation” after his outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics on Thursday.

“Botswana’s finest sporting moment,” beamed the MMegoi newspaper, after Tebogo produced a stunning run in the 200m to take gold, leaving pre-race favourite Noah Lyles trailing in third. 

To put the cherry on the cake, he also set an African record of 19.46 seconds.

Tebogo’s achievement will be “etched in the annals of the history of the republic”, the president said.

Videos shared on social media showed students at the University of Botswana dancing and singing into the night, while people across the southern African nation posted their pride on X and Facebook. 

“History made!” Masisi said on his X account. “My voice is completely gone thanks to the phenomenal #LetsileTebogo.”

Masisi also paid tribute to Tebogo’s mother, his greatest fan, who died in May.

She had faithfully followed her son around, slipping into Budapest without Tebogo knowing to watch him become the first male Botswanan athlete to win world championship medals last year.

Tebogo is only the second athlete from Africa to win a medal in the 200m and the first ever to take gold.

Namibian Frankie Fredericks won silver in Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996.