Incredible Tebogo runs incredible 43.03 split leg to lead Botswana to Olympic 4x400m silver, new African record

Olympic 200m champion, Letsile Tebogo ran an incredible 43.03 split, the fastest by any athlete in the race to anchor to lead Botswana to their second straight Olympic men’s 4x400m medal and a new African record.

Tebogo, who ran the first leg for Botswana in their semifinal heat was made to anchor the team in the final and he almost snatched the gold from USA anchor leg runner, 400m hurdles champion, Rai Benjamin but it was not to be.

The African’s 43.01 was not enough as Benjamin, with a 43.18 split leg, enjoyed the huge gap he inherited on getting the baton to power home first.

For their effort, Botswana not only upgraded from bronze in Tokyo to silver, they also improved on their African record, becoming the first African nation to break 2:55 in the event with their 2:54.53.

The USA was made to run a new 2:54.43 Olympic record to win the gold while Great Britain also ran a new 2:55.83 European record to take the bronze.

Belgium, fourth (2:57.75) and South Africa, fifth (2:58.12) also ran new national records while Japan who finished sixth ran a new 2:58.33 Asian record.