15 Mar 2017

With major athletics competition on the horizon, Botswana 800 metre runner, Nijel Amos, is not leaving anything to chance this season.

Last season he returned home empty handed having failed to advance to the next level of the 2016 Rio Olympics in addition to the failure  to defend his Diamond League title.

However, the Marobela-born star believes lightning never strikes twice hence he will leave no stone unturned this time around to redeem his and the country’s pride on the international stage.

His focus is now on the IAAF World Championships slated for London in August.

The last time Botswana won a medal was at the 2011 Dageu World Championship when Amantle Montsho’s crack performance won her gold to the awe of the entire athletics fraternity.

Since then, Botswana has waited without much success for yet another medal.

However, Amos is determined to change all that as attested to by his intensive training with other top athletes in Kenya.

He said in an interview that training in Kenya had been a success and he was now back home to process his visa to prepare for relocation to the United States of America’s Oregon Track Club.

“I have parted ways with my coach, Jean Verster.

So I am relocating to the US to work with coach Mark Rowland but make no mistake I achieved a lot under Verster’s guidance.

I won two Diamond League trophies and clocked most of my fastest time  under his tutelage,” he said.

Oregon Track Club, he said, was a middle distance group with an impressive track record.

The club is under Nike and Amos said he found it prudent to join the stable to enjoy better access to sport scientists, dieticians and gym instructors.

Amos said moving to the US would enhance his performance given that they had been working on possible ways to avoid injuries.

“Look, if I am injury free, obviously I will perform well. Mind you, injuries are an impediment to athletes’ performance. They are a drawback,” he said.

Regarding the World Championships, he said he missed the 2013 edition due to injury while in 2015 he did not have good competition.  He said this year, “come rain or shine” he would finish at the podium.

He believes in London resides his luck  after he won Botswana’s first Olympic medal in 2012.

About the Diamond League, he promised to go all out to win the trophy for the third time, adding that his aim was to run the first four meets to accumulate points that would secure a berth at the finals and then switch focus to the World Championship.

“This season, things will be different. My aim is to run closer to my 1:41.73 Personal Best I clocked in London, and getting closer to my PB, will make me even closer to the World Record.

Last season I ran around 1:42,” he said.  The highly optimistic Amos said judging by his training, he was hopeful to attain his goal, noting that despite last season’s flops, Nike renewed his contract.

He said that was indication that they had faith in him and did that in appreciation of the challenges and the injuries he sustained last season. ENDS