Last Updated:
Letsile Tebogo. (Getty Images)
Letsile Tebogo won gold medal of the 200m men’s event at the Paris Olympics.
Botswana sprinter Letsile Tebogo brought out an iconic Cristiano Ronaldo celebration after winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Tebogo created history by clocking an African record of 19.46 seconds to win the 200m men’s event in France.
After securing his maiden gold medal at the Summer Games, the 21-year-old celebrated by gesturing to the crowd to calm down by waving his arms, something Ronaldo did during a match against Barcelona in 2012.
Fans were elated to see Tebogo replicate Ronaldo’s celebration at the Olympics.
One of them wrote, “Congratulations Tebogo, you chose the best inspiration.”
Another talked about the ice-cold celebration and wrote, “He was so calm after winning and that is how you do it.”
One added, “Ronaldo winning in all sports.”
Another agreed and added, “Cristiano is everywhere.”
“First-ever gold for his country is amazing. Hope they hook him with some good compensation,” wrote another.
Ronaldo’s iconic ‘Calma Calma’ celebration at Camp Nou will forever be a part of El Clasico history. Real Madrid claimed a 2-1 victory against Barcelona on April 12, 2012 and Ronaldo played a key role in the win.
The contest began with Sami Khedira earning a lead for Real Madrid with a goal in the first-half.
Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez scored for the hosts in the 70th minute and just three minutes later, Mesut Ozil slipped in a beautiful through ball to Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar then slotted the ball in, from an acute angle after taking a touch past Victor Valdes.
As for Tebogo, the young sprinter dedicated the historic triumph to his mother.
Speaking after the race, he said, “It’s basically me carrying her through every stride that I take inside the field.”
He added, “It gives me a lot of motivation. She’s watching up there, and she’s really, really happy. I didn’t want to put the date of her death, because I’ll get emotional.”
A favourite to win the race, the USA’s Noah Lyles dropped to a third-place finish with a time of 19.70 seconds. USA’s Kenny Bednarek clinched a silver having clocked 19.62 seconds.
Catch Paris Olympics 2024 Day 13 LIVE Updates Here. Stay updated with the latest from Olympics 2024. Explore India At Paris Olympics 2024 Today. Check the updated list of Paris Olympics 2024 Medal Tally. Check Paris Olympics 2024 Event Results.