Olympics 200-meter men's final results: Botswana's Letsile Tebogo outshines Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek, wins Africa's first-ever gold in event

The 200m isn't just a race. It's an art form, too, replete with splatters of color, unruly lines and plenty of surprises.

Letsile Tebogo wasn't expected to sit atop the podium, flanked by two standout Americans as Botswana's national anthem poured out of the Stade de France speakers. The 21-year old is as fast as they come; he has the sixth-fastest 200m in history. But all the festivities revolved around Noah Lyles, the mercurial talent who has raced into the global consciousness with his depth-defying sprints.

Tebogo bested Lyles in their semifinals heat. On Thursday night, he proved his prior victory was no fluke, outgunning Lyles and fellow American star Kenny Bednarek to take home Africa's first-ever gold medal in the apparatus.

Tebogo posted a sterling 19.46s time in the finals, the fifth-fastest showing in 200m history. He strode out in front during the opening 100m and exploded once he hit the bend, putting distance between him and the rest of the pack before crossing the finish line. When he made it to the end of the race, Tebogo thumped his chest, a further reflection of his dominance.

Lyles, meanwhile, toiled. He appeared worse for the wear once the race went final, his 19.70s run falling way short of expectations. He was wheeled out of the stadium, with his mother eventually revealing what was the cause of all his misery: a COVID-19 diagnosis.

The Sporting Newst tracked live updates and results from the men's 200-meter final at the 2024 Olympics on Thursday. Check out the full results and race video below.

MORE: Watch the men's 200-meter final live with Fubo (free trial)

Olympic men's 200-meter final results

Noah Lyles live updates, results, highlights from men's 200-meter final

2:35 p.m.: Tebogo takes the gold! Bednarek captures silver while Lyles has to settle for the bronze! What a run by the 21-year old Botswanan!

2:33 p.m.: Bednarek on the outside lane, Lyles on the inside. Get your popcorn ready.

2:32 p.m.: Lyles bursts out of the tunnel like a cannon. He's hyped up for this one.

2:29 p.m.: Lyles clamoring for their to be more energy in the locker room. He's set to strut out onto the the track in the next few minutes.

2:26 p.m.: A victory for Lyles would secure his place in a very exclusive club. He would join Bolt, Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens as sprinters to have vanquished all foes in both the 100m and 200m finals.

Below is a full breakdown of the Olympic double winners, which dates back to Archie Hahn's two race wins in the 1904 Olympics.

2:24 p.m.: Lyles and his fellow competitors are in the locker room, bursting with excitement — and perhaps some understandable nerves — at the chance of capturing a piece of Olympic history for themselves.

2:19 p.m.: Only two men have bested Lyles' most impressive 200m run (19.31s in 2022); Jamaican legends Usain Bolt (2009) and Yohan Blake (2011). He'll have plenty of competition in the field during tonight's race, however. Lyles is joined by Tebogo and fellow Americans Erriyon Knighton and Kenny Bednarek — all of whom have posted sub-19.60s times in the same apparatus.

2:16 p.m.: Plenty of stars flickering around the Stade de France concourses for tonight's race, including Mick Jagger, Leon Marchand, Simone Biles, Mikaela Shiffrin and the immaculate Snoop Dogg. All will be looking forward to seeing history made tonight. It's just a question of who will make it.

2:10 p.m.: A reminder for those who forgot: Lyles is confident in his ability to take home a second gold medal in this year's Olympics.

2:00 p.m.: Some may have concerns after Lyles finished second in his semifinal heat behind Botswana's Letsile Tebogo. Lyles isn't, however, offering the following tweet in Japanese.

Translated in English, it reads: "You are already dead." It originates from iconic Japanese anime series Fist of the North Star.

How to watch Olympic men's 200-meter dash final

• Start time: 2:30 p.m. ET
• Channel: NBC
• Live stream: Peacock, Fubo

The men's 200m final will finish off the night at Stade de France in Paris, getting underway at 2:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. local time). The race will last close to 20 seconds.

NBC will broadcast coverage of the race, with live streaming available on Peacock and Fubo , which offers a free trial so you can try before you buy.

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