Letsile Tebogo runs 19.99, sets World U20 championship record in the 200m heats

Fresh off his blistering World U20 record to win the 100m at the U20 World Athletics Championships 2022 on Tuesday, Letsile Tebogo returned this morning to drop another huge anchor in the 200m after running 19.99 to break the championship record and win his heat comfortably.

Tebogo, who is hoping to complete the sprint double this year after coming up short in Nairobi, Kenya, last summer, bolted from the blocks at the sound of the gun to cover the entire field entering the home straight. Watch Day Three Live Streaming

The 19-year-old from Botswana then increased the tempo to pull away from the field and stopped the clock at a time that improved the previous championship record of 20.17 seconds, set by USA’s Michael Norman in Bydgoszcz, Poland in 2016.

Tebogo ran 9.91 seconds to set the World U20 record in the 100m final on Tuesday evening. Read more: Letsile Tebogo breaks own World U20 record with 9.91 to take world title in Cali.

The World U20 record for the 200m is currently set at a blistering 19.49 seconds by American Erriyon Knighton, although the performance is still to be ratified by World Athletics.

Meanwhile, Blessing Akwasi Afriah of Israel set a national U20 record of 20.37 on his way to winning heat five of the 200m and qualified with the second-fastest time overall. He was followed home by Great Britain’s Jeriel Quainoo who ran 20.50 for the third quickest time overall from the heats.

Thailand’s Puripol Boonson who just missed the podium in the 100m final, won the fourth heat with a time of 20.68 secs, defeating Bradley Oliphant of South Africa who equaled his PB with 20.73, while Malaysian sprint star Muhd Azeem Fahmi set another national U20 record with his 20.83 to win heat three.

Other heat winners on the day were Erik Erlandsson of Sweden who took heat one with 21.06, Benjamin Richardson of South Africa won the sixth heat in 20.74 seconds, while Calab Law of Australia finished on top in the seventh and final heat in 20.72.

The men’s 200m semi-finals are also slated for today at 4:35 pm ET.

Photo by Marta Gorczynska for World Athletics