Botswana etched their name into athletics history on Sunday by becoming the first African nation to win gold in the men’s 4x400m relay at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Afrosport reports.
The quartet of Lee Eppie, Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori and reigning 400m world champion Busang Collen Kebinatshipi produced a blistering time of 2:57.76 to snatch victory from the United States under pouring rain at the Japan National Stadium.
The USA, who had claimed nine of the previous 10 titles in the event, appeared on course for yet another triumph when 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin carried a lead into the final lap. However, Kebinatshipi unleashed a sensational anchor leg, propelling Botswana past their rivals to secure a historic gold.
Benjamin was forced to settle for silver as the US edged South Africa by a mere two-thousandths of a second, as both teams were credited with 2:57.83.
In the women’s 4x400m final, the United States delivered a commanding performance, led by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, to storm to gold in a championship record time of 3:16.61.
Their effort scrapped one tenth of a second off the previous mark set by the US at the 1993 edition in Stuttgart and stands as the fifth-fastest time in history. Since winning their first title in 1993, the Americans have now claimed 11 of the last 17 crowns in the discipline.
Jamaica crossed the line in 3:19.25 to secure silver, while the Netherlands took bronze with 3:20.18.
