Thebe could be the surprise package
Mqondisi Dube | Friday August 5, 2016 12:10
But as had become all too often, Montsho dipped late at the finish line and finished fourth, leaving the nation resigned to disappointment, with a barely known Nijel Amos left in the picture.
Amos defied odds with a brilliant run to finish second in the 800m behind world record holder, David Rudisha of Kenya. He immediately became the new darling of Botswana athletics.
Four years down the line, as Botswana athletes enter the track in Rio, all eyes are on Amos, who carries the realistic hopes of a second Olympic medal.
He has the temperament for big occasions and proved that he is a world beater when he bagged gold at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games ahead of Rudisha.
After an indifferent start to 2016, Amos is down the pecking order on the year’s leading times.
But there might be an unrecognised ace in the pack, the blazing Baboloki Thebe in the 400m.
The youngster has taken athletics by storm, blasting his way to numerous accolades including being voted Region V Junior Sportsperson of the Year.
He has beaten his more illustrious countryman, Isaac Makwala and was tipped to take the world junior title in Poland recently before a lane infringement ruled him out.
The stage has been set for Thebe, exactly the same way it was laid for Amos four years ago.
In 2012, Amos was fresh from a resounding victory at the junior championships in Barcelona.
He was largely considered a dark horse and focus was stuck on Montsho. Similarly, Thebe is fresh from a good run in Poland where he led the 4x400m relay to a silver moment. He won the 400m at the Africa Senior Championships in Durban where he beat Makwala.
Focus on the Botswana team is on Amos, and to a lesser extent, Makwala and this should leave Thebe to conduct his business without too much weight on his shoulder.
The 19-year-old has the best time, 44:22 of the year in the junior category. He is fourth overall in the world, and a clear sign that he is a bright prospect in Brazil.
He has the confidence, and critically, the talent to stand on the Rio podium. Ultimately, he might prove to be the ace in the Botswana team pack.