10 Jul 2017

Botswana’s 800 metres runner, Nijel Amos new strategy seems to be working, as he continue to record good times.

Since relocating to the USA under new coach, Mark Rowland, Amos has adopted the tactic of chasing the pace setter, and the strategy seems to be paying dividends for the Marobela born runner as evidenced in his first competitive race during the Gaborone International meet.

However, Amos went back to his old running strategy at the Rome Diamond League meeting, and the strategy did not work as he was tripped during the race and finished 11 with a time of 1:48:49.

Amos reverted back to the new tactic during the Pravda – Televízia – Slovnaft (P-T-S) meeting in Slovakia where he clocked 1:45:74, which was his Season Best (SB).

During the Paris meet, the new strategy proved to be what the doctor prescribed for him, winning the race with 1:44.24.

On Sunday during the London Diamond League Anniversary Games, Amos once again came with guns blazing reviving his old memory in London where he won Botswana’s first Olympic silver medal in 2012. He finished first by clocking a World Lead of 1:43:18.

Nijel said after the Sunday race that his new strategy was working well, adding that he knew he had to set his own space during the race, hence he chased the pace setter.

“My coach likes to tell me to follow my  instincts, he told me I am in good shape and that I should do whatever my  body said and I wanted  to run strong and smooth as much as I could all the way,” he said.

Quizzed if they had any plans to break the world record this season, Amos said their goal was to take each race as it came.

“We are still very careful with the body. We don’t want to push it hard when it’s not yet ready, hence ‘baby steps’ all the way,” he said.

Athletics analyst, Billy Tambula said  Amos  had a good race, and that the first lap was similar to the pace he set  in Paris, but that he improved in his second lap despite less pressure from Brazier Donovan and Abel Kiprop.

He noted that Amos was relaxed and focused the whole race, and that it showed his fitness this season.

“If he is going to take part in the remaining two races of the diamond league, I think he will qualify for the finals and we might see him taking both the diamond league and the world champions medal,” he said. ENDS