19 May 2019

Christine Botlogetswe was on fire at the Shanghai Diamond League on May 18.

Not only did she clock her Season Best (SB) time of 51.29 in 400 metres, she also qualified for the 2019 World Championships and 2020 Olympic Games. 

The Olympic Games qualifying standard, which came into effect on May 1, was set  at 51.35 for women in the 400 metres, while 51.80 became IAAF entry standards for the World Championships.

There was no doubt that Botlogetswe had intended to make it double looking at the way she approached what was termed a strong field. 

She was calm, even though she was up against seasoned runners. She also executed her race plan well, although she was running from lane nine.

The upbeat Botlogetswe said in an interview that she enjoyed the race and she was on cloud nine to have recorded her SB.

Track and field analyst, Lentswe Charles, said the Rakops-born produced a scintillating performance, given that she arrived in the field with the second slowest time compared to her opponents. 

He said starting on lane nine was always going to be difficult, but she started very strong in the first 150 metres opening a wide gap between her and other athletes.

He said the Bahraini Salwa Eid Naser, Stephenie Ann McPherson from Jamaica, American sprinters, Sydney McLaughlin and Jessica Beard, who were running on the inside lanes got too close to her on 200m. 

“It was at this point that all seemed lost for Botlogetswe as she seemed to have taken the foot off the paddle a little bit. She needed to reserve more energy for the home straight,” he said.

However, Charles said the plan worked in her favour as with about 40 metres to the finish line, she accelerated and ran past Mc Pherson and Beard who seemed to have run out of steam.

On position one was Naser with 50.65 followed by McLaughlin with 50.78 while McPherson, finished fourth with 51.39

On one hand, another 400m runner, Isaac Makwala, did not finish the race due to an injury. 

Concerning the men race, Charles said all started on a high gear and it was on the back straight that the American athlete Fred Kerley began to accelerate as if he was running a 200m dash. 

“At 250m, Isaac Makwala’s legs could not carry him on since he had incurred an injury. It is like his injuries always come when he is about to accelerate, he does not build momentum with his race first. I think the quick, immediate transition to acceleration is the cause in the recent injury,” he said.

The race was won by Kerley with 44.81, followed by his countrymen, Michael Cherry and Nathan Strother who recorded 45.48, and 45.52 respectively. ENDS