Tebogo, Omanyala keep Botswana-Kenya rivalry on track
Mqondisi Dube | Saturday July 29, 2023 06:00
After the disappointment of seeing favourite Amantle Montsho finish fourth in the final of the 400m, hopes of a first ever Olympic Games medal during the London 2012 competition hung on the then largely unknown 18-year-old Amos.
Most had given up, given the pedigree of runners Amos faced. But the Marobela-born star stunned the world as he amassed every ounce of energy, pushing Rudisha to a new world 800m record of 1:40.91 which still stands today.
Amos was not too far off as he registered 1:41.00, just 0.18secs from claiming a gold medal. It remains Amos’ fastest time while the 800m is still remembered as one of the quickest and most furious races of all time. Those who were glued to their television sets on that chilly evening, have the moment firmly embedded in their minds. No eraser can wipe away that glorious moment; it is indelible.
The cataclysmic London moment that shook the world unwittingly marked the start of a fierce rival between Amos and Rudisha, and by extension, between Botswana and Kenya. Rudisha was always the fan favourite heading into races against Amos.
At times it was against the odds that Rudisha was installed as the favourite despite Amos’ form at the time. Western commentators appeared to fight from Rudisha’s corner.
But the ‘David versus Goliath’ moment arrived at the 2014 Commonwealth Games when Amos floored Kenya’s ‘David’ to pick his first major gold medal.
Before then, Rudisha had made the 800m a stroll and had never been pushed to the finish line. Rudisha would dominate from gun to finish before soaking in all the plaudits.
But all of a sudden, here was a new irritant from Botswana in the name of Amos. The scruffy run of Amos was ever effective against the long and calculated strides of Rudisha. Between 2012 and 2015, the two met six times after the London race and Amos emerged on top. Rudisha’s defeats were attributed to a serious knee injury suffered in 2013, but it was apparent that Amos was the new bull in the 800m ring.
But despite dominating his meetings with Rudisha, Amos’ career only flattered to deceive. He is now on a three-year suspension for failing a drug test and his trophy cabinet shows only one Olympic Games medal and none from the World Championships. Against an oasis of promise delivered at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Amos has never fulfilled the potential which was laid bare to the athletics world on August 9, 2012.
While Amos is now on the sidelines and certainly in the twilight of his career, injuries forced Rudisha into early retirement. Amos might have won the individual battles but Rudisha emerged as the more celebrated of the two.
Now as one Botswana, Kenya rivalry fades into unforgettable oblivion, from those ashes a brighter and younger competition has been born.
The age difference between Amos and Rudisha is five, with the Botswana athlete turning 29 this year, while the Kenyan is 34. But their exit from the top stage has not marked the end of the Botswana-Kenya rivalry.
The emergence of the prodigiously talented Letsile Tebogo has meant the ‘beat goes on’.
The 20-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down, and while Batswana were already acutely aware of his undoubted track prowess, it only took the World Junior Championships in Columbia last year for the world to sit up and take notice.
Tebogo smashed the world junior record when he ran 9.91 in Cali, immediately drawing comparisons with the peerless Jamaican, Usain Bolt. He has not slowed down since, wowing athletics crowds across the world although the biggest test lies at the World Championships in Budapest next month.
But it appears inevitable that Tebogo’s name will be engraved among the world’s elite athletes after the former Gaborone Senior Secondary School student smashed a 27-year-old African 200m record on Sunday. Namibian, Fankie Fredericks’ long-standing record of 19.68 secs achieved in 1996 is no more, thanks to Tebogo’s new mark of 19.50, which is subject to World Athletics ratification.
While Tebogo is making waves just like 18-year-old Amos, there is a Kenyan to contend with.
Ferdinand Omanyala is the fastest African man over the 100m dash. Tebogo has met Omanyala twice, and the result was a defeat to the Botswana athlete on both occasions. Their first meeting was during the FNB Botswana Golden Prix where Omanyala prevailed.
Last week, the two met at the Monaco Diamond League and there was evidence of a narrowing gap, as Omanyala just edged it, recording 9.92 against Tebogo’s 9.93.
Judging by Tebogo’s form, it seems only a matter of time before the 27-year-old Kenyan is relegated to second spot.
The World Championships coming up in Budapest could mark a significant shift in the balance of power in the 100m race, with Tebogo expected to start taking charge.