GABORONE, Botswana – The country of diamonds now has gold.
The people of Botswana were given time off work on Friday by presidential decree so they could celebrate their first gold medal at the Olympics.
Victory for sprinter Letsile Tebogo in the 200 meters on Thursday night in Paris was a cherishable moment for a southern African nation of 2.4 million that is largely desert. Botswana is perhaps best known for being one of the largest diamond producers in the world.
Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi gave everyone a half-day national holiday to recognize Tebogo’s victory and to “pause and celebrate it”, his office said.
Before 21-year-old Tebogo’s breakthrough, Botswana had won just two Olympic medals since its first Games in Moscow in 1980. All of them came on the track, with Nijel Amos winning silver in the 800 meters in 2012 and the men’s 4×400. relay team winning bronze at the last Tokyo Olympics.
Tebogo’s gold went down in African history, as he became the first runner from the continent to win the Olympic title in the 200 meters.
Namibia, Botswana’s neighbor, has come close to this before, when Frankie Fredericks won silver medals in the 100 and 200 meters at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.
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