30 Jun 2021

Baboloki Thebe failed to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, after clocking a time of 46:31 at the Gran Premio diputaction in Spain yesterday (June 29).

Thebe finished on position four, shattering Batswana hopes as he was expected to be the second 400-metre male athlete to qualify after Makwala.

Thebe said in an interview after the race that he was happy that he managed to finish the race healthy.

He said his failure to qualify for the Olympics would not dampen his spirits and he would continue to work very hard, to prepare for other coming competitions, after the Olympics.

“Look, age is still on my side, all that I need to do is to work very hard and focus, all is not lost, yes lining up at the Olympics is a big thing, but I cannot sit here and cry over spilt milk,” he said.

However, track and field analyst Lentswe Charles said it was a very fast first half of the race among quarter milers as Thebe ran from one of the inside lanes chasing the opponents as they dictated the race pace exploding and going tightly upfront in a pack on the back straight with a visible acceleration from around 250 metres of the race.

He said as they came out of the second curve he was in a good position and tried to lead but his legs failed him. 

According to Charles’s observation, Thebe’s energy got depleted as he crossed the 350 metres mark letting two opponents fly past him with the third going much tighter accelerating towards the finish line.

He said due to a high speed of sprinters on the back straight he used much energy on the first 200m resulting in an uneven race rhythm.

“I believe his fitness level was not yet ready for clocking a Sub 45 seconds mark 400 metres but rather 45 high to 45 low marks,” he said.

Charles advised that in such races, regardless of the race factor from any opponent dictating the race pace, a good pace judgment by opponents in lanes, energy distribution and sticking to your race model should be a habit and it is vital from the first half of the race.

That, he said helps for a smooth run on the home stretch and usually on athletes with sufficient lactic workouts training, speed reserves, built-in speed endurance and strength training volume necessary for the event during preparations. Ends