21 Jul 2016

Botswana swimming sensation, Naomi Ruele’s Olympic spot now lies upon the IOC Universality Places also known as the wild card, after missing FINA quota places of automatic entries following the qualification closing date of July 3, 2016. 

With the Rio Olympic Games final Team Botswana set to be announced tomorrow (July 22), Team Botswana chef de mission, Moses Moruisi said although Ruele met the Olympic B standard time in the 50m freestyle, she did not make it into the FINA quota places of automatic entries, 

“She had met the standards, but she still had to undergo certain process that are to make sure that indeed she will go to the games, beside that she did not manage to secure a place,” he said.

Ruele swam 26.07 to qualify for a B standard, with the hope that she would be the first swimmer in Botswana to qualify for the Olympics.

Meanwhile, Moruisi said Botswana would be fielding three athletes under IOC Universality Places, who would  be announced during official announcement of Rio Olympics Team Botswana.

He noted that eight athletes that had met the qualification standards were Nijel Amos for  800m, Boitumelo Masilo for 200m, Isaac Makwala for 200m and 400m.

Other team members were Onkabetse Nkobolo for 400m, Baboloki Thebe for 200m and 400m, Karabo Sibanda for 400m, Christine Botlogetswe and Lydia Jele for 400m. 

Besides the individual qualifiers, he said Botswana also secured a place in the men’s 4x400m relay. 

The team will comprise the best six 400m runners in Botswana to be announced. 

As part of the preparations, he said some qualified athletes were currently training in Germany, while Thebe and Sibanda were in Polanda for the under 20 World Junior Championships.

The team is expected to return home before departing for Brazil, save for Amos and Makwala.

In Brazil, he said the team would be based in Blumenau, which is an hour flight from Rio de Janeiro for the Pre-Games Training Camp (PGTC) at the SESI Sports Complex.

Also, he stated a delegation was dispatched to Brazil to analyse the containment and management of the Zika virus at the camp. 

He explained that the delegation had reported back that the PGTC was of high standard and had all the necessary health measures in place to safeguardthe team. ENDS