Exactly a decade separates Amos’ career-defining moments.
This time, 10 years ago, the nation was about to erupt in unbridled joy to celebrate the first Olympic Games medal delivered through the unorthodox running gait of Amos.
At the London 2012 Olympic Games, Amos was involved in the fastest 800m race, which gave birth to a new rivalry with long-striding Kenyan superstar, David Rudisha.
That Thursday night, Rudisha took the gold while little-known Amos grabbed a gold-like silver medal, which was widely appreciated by the nation.
‘Amaaruri’ was the screaming, celebratory Mmegi front page headline the following Friday morning.
There was the accompanying picture of Amos, wearing a broad smile and draped in Botswana’s blue, black, and white flag. It was a moment to saviour for a nation that had waited since 1980 to see one of its own climb the podium at an Olympic Games event. An 18-year-old star was born.
But it has not gone exactly according to the book as Amos has struggled to replicate that wild run and glorious moment of 2012. He has failed to add to his only Olympic Games medal after subsequent disappointments in 2016 and 2020.
The world of athletics had installed Amos as the heir apparent to Rudisha’s crown. But Amos has not accepted the invitation. Instead, he has flattered to deceive, with no medal at the ‘World Cup’ of athletics, the World Championships.
For all his talent and the ever-present hype, Amos has not delivered to the expectations of his fans.
He is worth more than just Diamond League wins as he belongs to an elite league of athletes. However, his medal cabinet does not reflect Amos’ immense talent.
How on earth does Amos have only one Olympic Games medal and zero World Championships gongs?
He was tipped to dominate the 800m from 2012 onwards, but it has all been trips and stumbles as his career hit a plateau.
There has often been a gaze into his private life, although he was swift to get back on track after he temporarily found comfort on the decks, as DJ Zoro. Amos has been off the radar since last year’s disappointment where he was surprisingly off-colour at the Tokyo Olympics.
This year, he briefly raised his hand when he finished second during the Diamond League in Rabat, Morocco as part of preparations for the World Championships in the United States. But 10 years after Amos was involved in what was seen as the greatest Olympics race, the nation has watched as Amos’ career tails off. After flying relatively high over the last decade, doping has emerged as the turbulence that threatens to send Amos’ athletics career into a graveyard spiral dive and possibly crash landing.
It was reported, just days before the World Championships kicked off in Eugene last Friday, that Amos had been provisionally suspended after failing a drug test. Provisional suspensions are handed out pending a hearing and official punishment if any. It is a crushing blow with a two-year mandatory suspension looming if Amos fails to convince the Athletics Integrity Unit.
If the two-year ban is imposed, Amos will only return after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
This will mean Amos’ target will be the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games when he would be 34 years old. It would not be the greatest way for Amos to sign off what began as a promising career, which has infuriatingly stagnated over the years.
