Thebe faces stiff competition from Namibian cyclist, Tristan de Lange and Zimbabwean Kyle Hinde of rowing. The 19-year-old Thebe made his Diamond League debut late last month and finished sixth in a time of 45:54 seconds. The sprinter qualified for the 400m and 200m Olympics events. Despite not being nominated for the Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) awards, Thebe has been in scintillating form in the past two seasons. He won gold and bronze medals in the 200m and 100m races at the 2014 Africa Youth Games (AYG) held in Gaborone. He also scooped a gold medal in 100m at the Botswana Games last year in a time of 10:72 seconds. The 2014 Youth Olympics silver medallist was part of the 4x400m relay teams that won gold at Africa Junior Champions in Ethiopia and at the AYG.
History-making Ruele earned herself a place in the nominees after qualifying for the this year’s summer Olympics in the 50m freestyle event in a time 26:07seconds, making her the first local swimmer to qualify for the prestigious event. Ruele was voted the best swimmer at the NCAA Championships in America after scooping a gold medal in every event she competed in. The US-based swimmer also won silver at the 2014 AYG.
