THE BEST OF 800m:NIJEL AMOS
BY:Katlego Mechidi
When you do not want to say 800m,you can say Nijel Amos, without any doubt he is among the best 800m runners of all time not only in Botswana. Having shocked the nation by gaining podium position at the 2012 Summer Olympics at just 18 years old, Amos also made history by becoming the first Motswana to win a medal at the Olympics.
TALKING POINTS
- Nijel Amos is pure talent
- Amos injuries overclouded his dominance potential
- He will be looking to impress at Tokyo 2021 Olympics
NIJEL AMOS IS THE 3RD FASTEST JUNIOR RUNNER
The Marobela native rendered many speechless when he won silver as he did not only do that but broke the athletics records, he broke the world junior record and becoming the joint-third fastest man of all-time with time of 1:41:73 which is still his best time up to now.
The silver winning time will forever remain in his heart and Batswana at large as he proudly tattooed it on his forearm shortly after the Olympic Games.
What surprises is that the 27 year old went to the 2012 Olympic Games as the World Junior Champion and was coached by his high school geography teacher at school just six months before the historic Olympics which demonstrate his highly natural talent.
NIJEL AMOS IS INJURY PRONE
Just like is normal with any sportsperson, Nijel Amos’s progress in the track was hampered by injuries just after the Olympic Games, he sustained a thigh injury in 2013 and decided to back off for a season , but after an injury-plagued 2013, he was solid in 2014 but struggled some recurring injuries in 2015, 2016 and 2019
His injuries resulted in him failing to make to the finals at the 2015 World Championships, being unable to get out of his qualifying heat at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and withdrawing from the 2019 World Championships with an Achilles problem.
Despite the injuries, Amos never disappointed but ran swiftly into more victories and in 2014 he was untouchable as he won numerous 800m gold medals and among them is Commonwealth Games, African Championships, World Continental cup, three Diamond league as well as the National Championships.
NIJEL AMOS HAS FOUND HIS FIT AGAIN
The following years, he went on to impress running some of the fastest times in history and continued scooping other numerous gold medals including 2015 All African Games, 2016 African Championships and 11 Diamond leagues from 2015 to 2019.
His superb performance resulted in him being ranked World number one twice in 2014 and 2017 and also earning big in Botswana National Sports Commission (BNSC) awards in 2015 being the sportsman of the year.
In recent years, Nijel Amos has continued to run the good race for the country, clocking some of his best times in the 2019 IAAF season, however its been a long time without any silverware for the talented runner.
The middle distance specialist has endured a turbulent time at major championships. He is yet to add to his global medal collection. Nonetheless, the celebrated star has qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics where he remain medal hopeful for Botswana, which still only boasts one Olympic medal.
Amos gives back to the community through his foundation called “Chase Dream Empire” to empower youth, particularly ex-convicts.
