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'It means a lot to the African continent' | Botswana wins first-ever Olympic gold medal thanks to 21-year-old stunner

Letsile Tebogo dedicated his gold medal to his mother, Seratiwa, who he lost in May.

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PARIS, France — In a stunning twist, Letsile Tebogo, a 21-year-old sprinter from Botswana, pulled off a shocking victory Thursday, claiming the gold in the much-hyped men's 200m.

Tebogo's racing time of 19.46 seconds not only earned Botswana the country's first Olympic gold medal, it also set an African record for the fastest 200m time and this was the fourth fastest time in Olympic history. 

Tebogo also earned the title of the youngest gold medalist to win the men's 200m. The record was formerly held by American Bobby Joe Marrow in 1956. 

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Credit: AP
Letsile Tebogo, of Botswana, crosses the finish line followed by Kenneth Bednarek and Noah Lyles of the United States (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

RELATED: Here's how the 3 US runners did in the men's 110m hurdles final

Credit: AP
Gold medalist Letsile Tebogo, of Botswana, and bronze medalist Noah Lyles, of the United States, right, shake hands. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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