Botswana will hold a national holiday in honour of Isaac Makwala if he wins 200m gold at the World Championships.
Makwala, whose exploits in London have been a major talking point this week, races in the final later on Thursday.
On Tuesday he was barred from the 400m final, as officials tried to halt a “very virulent” norovirus outbreak.
But he returned and progressed from an individual 200m time trial on Wednesday he was quarantined for Monday’s heats – and celebrated by doing press-ups.
The 30-year-old, who said he is “still running with a broken heart” will be going up against South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk, who on Tuesday dominated the 400m race for which Makwala said he had been training.
