Botswana wrote their name and that of Africa on Athletics marble by winning the men’s 4x400m gold medal on the final day of the 20th World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
Another African country, South Africa clinched the bronze in a photo-finish race that saw them and the Silver winners the United States of America crossing the line 2.57.83s.
The race ran under slight showers that had forced the competition to be postponed for two hours, had everyone at the Stadium and those watching from home standing on their toes in that competitive and exciting final leg.
Botswana, led by individual 400m champion, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, clocked an impressive 2:57.76, narrowly edging out the United States, anchored by 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin, in 2:57.83, same time as South Africa who settled for the bronze medal.
The U.S. winners of nine of the last 10 world titles, changed all four athletes for the final from their morning runoff against Kenya, but Botswana held strong to exact their revenge on the U.S, who edged them out at the Paris Olympics last year.
With this victory, Botswana becomes the only African country to win the 4x400m gold at the global level, the second from the continent to clinch a relay gold at the World Championships, following South Africa’s triumph in the men’s 4x100m in 2001 in Edmonton, Canada.
South Africa also made history in Tokyo by becoming the first African nation to win three medals in the same relay discipline. Their bronze in the men’s 4x400m adds to their previous podium finishes: bronze in 1999 and silver in 2011.
In total, four African nations have now picked shades of medals in the relay events at the World Championships, with the Kenyans leading the way with a silver medal in 1993 in Stuggart, Germany.
Nigeria followed in 1995, earning bronze in the men’s 4x400m in Gothenburg, Sweden, led by late police officer, Sunday Bada.
In 1997, Nigeria won a bronze in the 4x100m relay, as the first from Africa to medal in that event with the quartet of Osmond Ezinwa, Olapade Adenekan, Francis Obikwelu and Davidson Ezinwa.
South Africa joined the relay elite again in 1999, winning bronze in the men’s 4x400m in Seville, and later made history with their gold medal victory in the men’s 4x100m, anchored by Mathew Quinn.”
…US Women 4x400m Continue Domination
Meanwhile, the U.S. resumed normal service in the women’s final with individual 400m champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone anchoring them to gold in 3.16.61.
The Americans finished the first lap neck-and-neck with the Jamaicans but Lynna Irby-Jackson ran a blistering second leg to give her team a comfortable lead that her last two teammates extended.
The Jamaicans held onto the second place in 3.19.25 despite the efforts of 400m hurdles gold medallist Femke Bol over the final leg for the Dutch defending champions, who finished third in 3.20.18
