09 Jun 2020

The cancellation of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic did not dampen the spirit of Botswana’s most decorated female athlete, Amantle Montsho, as her 2021

Olympics preparations have started in earnest.

The Maun-born star’s plans to retire immediately after the 2020 Olympics Games was disrupted by the postponement of the games due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Come 2021, a lot will be expected from Montsho, given that she knows what it takes to make it to the podium, as she was the first athlete to win the first gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games with a time of 50.10.

In 2011, during the World Championship in Daegu,  she won Botswana’s first gold medal in a Personal Best time of 49.56, ahead of Allyson Felix of United States and Russia’s Anastasiya Kapachinskaya.

In 2018, she won yet another gold medal for Botswana at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, with a time of  50.15 beating Jamaicans, Anastasia Le-Roy and Stephenie McPherson, who finished on position two and three respectively.

Montsho said she had been preparing very well during the extreme social distancing period.

“I am aware that I had made a pronouncement that I will retire from athletics after the 2020 Olympics, but I will represent my country at the 2021 Olympics.

I am working with my coach and we both have a mission and a vision for next year’s games,” she said.

Furthermore, she said the postponement of the 2020 Olympics had given her and the coach ample time to fully prepare for the games.

“This year, I will be keeping a low profile and do more work on track.

I am highly motivated by Jamaican sprinter, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

She had intentions of retiring after 2020 Olympic Games, but she will also compete at next year games.

She highlighted that she would also compete in other local competitions that might be lined up just to gauge her readiness. Ends