Moloi's fast legs take her atop 100m pile
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday March 10, 2023 14:52
The Lion’s Den Athletics Club sprinter pushed hard to beat veteran sprinter Loungo Matlhaku to win the women’s 100m heat, recording a personal best (PB) of 11.87.
It has been a steady journey on the track for Moloi who started running when she was a student at Naledi Senior Secondary School in 2017. “My interest in athletics stems from the Botswana Integrated Sport Association (BISA) days when I was a high school student but I turned professional two years ago after I met my current coach, Phenyo Semumu,” she said.
Moloi is a 4th-year student at Ba Isago University pursuing a Degree in Economics. “I am in athletics specifically for sprints. Look, on Saturday my focus was on winning and not beating Loungo in the 100m heat. I was really happy with my time,” she said. At the end of the 100m dash, Moloi looked at the clock and broke into dance as she celebrated her 11.87 PB.
It was a beautiful moment to watch and see how much it meant to the athlete. Moloi said she was on the brink of reaching the apex of her career last season but an injury struck her. It was her chance to make her national team debut unfortunately that dream flew away right before her eyes. Moloi was also unstoppable during the FNBB BOTESSA south region athletics qualifiers in February when she stopped the clock at 11.92 during the women’s 100m heat. “I choose 100m by competence.
I was born as a sprinter so I could not do any other races outside 100m and 200m. The 100m is very demanding, sometimes you do a false start, sometimes your start is poor, sometimes you run fast and the wind disqualifies you.
These are some of the challenges we face on the track. All I have to do is make sure my concentration level is spot on from the beginning of the race to the end,” she said. Moloi said her coach has always been there for her, pushing her to greater heights. She said her hope is to win a medal in international competitions, especially the African Senior Athletics Championships and the World University Games.
“This season we intend to drop my times. My coach believes that I will reach the apex of fitness around June. When it comes to lanes, I like running in the middle. So apart from lanes one and eight, the rest I am confident that I will blast it,” a confident Moloi said. When asked about the tactics that she applies during 100m sprints, Moloi said skills vary from athlete to athlete because they are individuals with different plans. She said 100m sprints are technical which means she implores a lot of tactics.
One of the common tactics in 100m sprints is for the athlete to be aggressive out of the blocks and push their feet explosively into the ground with every stride. “The 11.87 is my fastest time but I will keep dropping it as the year progresses. Well, I do not have anything hectic when it comes to rituals when preparing for a race. I just rest a lot, go for a massage and swim for recovery from fatigue,” Moloi said. She said her role model is Jamaican sprinter, Elaine Thompson-Herah. “She is regarded as one of the greatest sprinters of all time. She is a five-time Olympic champion. I love her running style,” she said.
FACT FILE:
Full name: Boitshepho Moloi
Date of birth: May 5, 2000
Place of birth: Gaborone
Profession: Sprinter
Distance: 100m and 200m
Club: Lion’s Den
PB: 11.87s
Spike size: Five