11 Apr 2018

Amantle Montsho has redeemed her pride by claiming back the Commonwealth Games title she won back in 2010.

Montsho delivered the second gold medal for Botswana in style at the on-going 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast with a Season Best (SB) time of 50.15.

It is the same Montsho who in Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games won Botswana’s first ever Commonwealth 400m gold medal in a new Games record time of 50.10 seconds, in the process smashing Jamaica’s Alexandre Richard’s Commonwealth Games record of 50.17 which was set in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur.

As Batswana hoped that she would defend her title at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, it was not to be as she finished in position four in the finals with a time of 51.10 and as if that was not enough, Montsho was handed a two-year doping ban after testing positive for methylhexaneamine.

She came back strong in the 2018 Commonwealth edition, probably knowing this was where she can pick up the pieces, and before departing to Australia, she left Batswana with an indication to expect something from her as she had told BOPA that her mission was to fight and make her opponents feel here presence.

“However, I am not going to put myself under any pressure. I just want to enjoy my race. But of course with a brave fight and the rest will follow, but I will be happy if I can win a medal; any colour for my country,” she had said.

Montsho approached the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games with a positive attitude on Monday in round 1 heat two as she finished in position one with 51.20 to proceed to the semi-finals where she finished in position two with a time of 51.26.

Her performance was an indication that she had something up in her sleeve, and it did not come as a surprise as she put on a world class performance in the event outclassing her two feared Jamaican competitors; Anastasia Le-Roy who won silver with a PB of 50.57 and long-time Montsho’s track nemesis Stephenie McPherson who finished in position three with 50.93, and it was apparent that the Jamaicans were not ready for Montsho.

Christene Botlogetswe rounded off the top four with yet another Personal Best (PB) time of 51.17 and it should be noted that she was making her debut at the Games.

She was impressive during her road to the finals in heat five as she ran a PB of 51.73 and as if that was not enough, she shattered her own PB in the semi-finals as she clocked yet another impressive PB of 51.43 to finish in position two.

Meanwhile, athletics analyst, Billy Tambula said Amantle went out very hard on the first 300 metres, closing on the athletes on the outer lanes quickly.

“I thought she relaxed a bit on the last bend so that she is able to see what the response was.

She was now at a zone where you expect someone to surprise you from the back,” he said.

Tambula said in her last 70 metres, the Jamaicans failed to match her and she was aware of the situation every second of the race.

“It is not always the case that you see a quarter miler going so hard and taking a break a little then having enough energy to attack with that strength to finish it off.

Amantle is very experienced and she proved it,” he said.

Talking about Botlogetswe, Tambula explained that the athlete took-off very hard attacking every bend with pace because she was running blind.

“The last part of the race where she needed to attack you could see that she did try to attack, but she had used a lot of energy.

She did hold on, but she couldn’t go past the Jamaican who was also beginning to tire up,” he further explained.

He said coming back with a PB and fourth place was an achievement on its own.

He stated that the athlete was very impressive.

“Again I believe she has grown so much from these games in terms of structuring and executing her race,” he said.

Meanwhile, in women 200 metres semifinal one, Loungo Matlhaku failed to proceed to the finals after finishing on position seven with a time of 23.98. Ends