Athletics carries nation’s medal hopes
Calistus Kolantsho | Saturday August 3, 2024 06:00
Botswana's first Olympic honour came through Nijel Amos’ silver medal during the London 2012 edition. The next medal followed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics when the men’s 4x400m relay team brought home a bronze medal. Now, with a new generation of athletes, the nation has every reason to be optimistic of a third and even fourth Olympic medal. Attention will certainly be on 21-year-old World Championships silver medallist, Letsile Tebogo, who will compete in the men’s 100m and 200m races. He is also expected to boost the men’s 4x400m relay team after a two-day break. It will not be an easy path to the podium as he faces stiff competition from Jamaican Kishane Thompson (9.77), Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala (9.79), American Noah Lyles (9.81), Jamaican Oblique Seville (9.82), South African Benjamin Richardson (9.86), and his compatriot Akani Simbine who has also clocked 9.86.
Tebogo has further challenges from two other Americans, Kenneth Bednarek (9.87), who is also a Tokyo 2020 Olympics 200m silver medallist, and Fred Kerley, who posted 9.88. Tebogo finished third during the London Diamond League where he set a new National Record (NR) of 9.88. He equalled the record he set in Budapest when he earned silver. He will be making his Olympics debut with the men’s 100m heat tomorrow. Tebogo’s coach, Kebonyemodisa ‘Dose’ Mosimanyane told MmegiSport that the goal is to try and make the finals in both the 100m and 200m. “We want to make the finals in both events as this is Tebogo’s first Olympics. Preparations for the competition went well.
All races this year were used to prepare for the Olympics and correct mistakes. There is no pressure on me as his coach because we set goals and stick to the plan,” he said. Regarding expectations from supporters, Mosimanyane advised that they should not put weight on the shoulders of the athletes with high expectations. He argued athletes will deliver better if they are more relaxed. Oratile Nowe will be the first athlete to get the ball rolling in the women’s 800m heats today. The athlete said it is an honour to represent Botswana at the Olympics. “I am not under pressure. I have trained hard for this and all I have to do is to enjoy every moment. I just want to give it my all, run my Personal Best (PB) and reach the finals,” she said. The 800m women's race is open without the defending champion, Athing Mu after she fell during the American trials and missed out on selection.
Nowe will have to deal with a strong field that has title contenders, Kenyan, World Champion Mary Moraa, and Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, who is also the European champion. Nowe’s training partner, South African Prudence Sekgodiso has proven that she cannot be counted out after winning all her races between March and May. Her only loss came at the hands of Hodgkinson in Hengelo, the Netherlands. Tshepiso Masalela, Tumo Nkape, and Kethobogile Haingura have a mountain to climb in the men’s 800m. Within a few days leading to the Olympics, six men clocked 1:43.00 in one race. The men’s 400m races are expected to be interesting as Bayapo Ndori, Leungo Scotch, and Collen Kebinatshipi take centre stage.
It might seem like an open space for the medals but Great Britain’s Hudson-Smith and American’s Quincy Hall who are the only men to have broken the 44 seconds in the 400m this season, are a threat to the local lads. Ndori has had a tough time leading to the Olympics, likely due to fatigue. Botswana is hopeful of another podium finish in the men’s 4x400m relay team, which is the current World Champions. The team comprises four sub-45s athletes, Anthony Pesela, Scotch, Kebinatshipi, and Ndori. The USA team stands in the way after being disqualified during the World Athletics Relays at The Bahamas, only managing to get Olympic qualification in the second round. But even then, their time of 2:59.95 was almost a second shy of Botswana’s winning time of 2:59.11 in the final.
The only occasions when Botswana has gone quicker has been in the last two Olympic Games, capped by their national record of 2:57.27 to take bronze in Tokyo. Other teams to look out for are Belgium, Netherlands, Great Britain, and Zambia led by Muzala Samukonga. Francistown Athletics Club coach, Nico 'Keita' Manyepedza said the team is capable of doing well, particularly Tebogo and the men’s 4x400m relay team. “If nothing goes wrong, Tebogo is capable of bringing two medals in both the 100m and 200m. The men’s 4x400m relay team has a big chance, as it is a different scenario, as compared to the past.
This time around ,we went there with four sub-45s athletes,” Manyepedza said. He said if the team qualifies for the finals, a medal is certain, especially with the inclusion of Tebogo. Meanwhile, there is no pressure on hurdler, Victor Ntweng, as the war will be on the fastest 400m hurdlers in the world, Rai Benjamin (USA), Karsten Warholm (Norway), and Alison dos Santos (Brazil). Ntweng is expected to use the opportunity as a learning curve.