Boitumelo Khutsafalo
21 August 2008
Botswana's women 400m runner, Amantle Montsho said that she was very nervous prior to the final of the race at the Beijing Olympics on Tuesday.
"I was very nervous especially since I was competing with the best in the world in the likes of American athlete, Sanya Richards and Great Britain's Christine Ohuruogu," Montsho told Mmegi Sport yesterday.
Ohuruogu won the race while Richards came third, behind Jamaica's Shericka Williams. Montsho finished last. She said that running in lane eight affected her badly.
"I was disappointed with getting that lane because it is very difficult to compete in it," she added. She said it was the first time she competed in the lane.
She is, however, happy with her overall performance and she is looking forward to the World Championships next year. She explained that she has to work on a few aspects like her speed to do better.
Despite faltering in the final, Montsho's performance will go down as one of the best by Botswana at the Olympics. For three consecutive Olympics, Botswana has managed to reach a final in the games.
Besides the 4 x 4 relay team in 2004, Montsho is the third Motswana to reach an Olympic final after Glody Dube in 800m in 2000 and lomg jumper, Gable Garenamotse at this year's Olympics. She is the first Motswana woman to reach an Olympic final.
Botswana athletics coach, Bobby Gaseitsiwe showered praises on Montsho saying that she did her best.
He said that Montsho did very well though it was a tough race. "It is only that there was too much expectations from her and therefore the pressure became too much for her," he added. Gaseitsiwe explained that before the final, they told Montsho that she did very well to reach the final. "We told her that since expectations are very high, she must just go there and do the country proud and the only setback was that she was very nervous," he said.
Gaseitsiwe praised other athletes for their performances in Beijing.
"I am very proud of them. Gable (Garenamotse) was a finalist in the long jump and though Kabelo (Kgosiemang) did not do as expected, it is only fair to note that the Olympics are very tough and the exposure that comes with competing at these games is very important," he said.
He pointed out that there were high hopes that the country would win its first medal at the Olympics.
He asserted that this was the wish of the coaches though their aim was to reach at least three finals in Beijing. Botswana's remaining hope in the Olympics is marathon runner, Ndabili Bashingili who will be competing on Sunday. Team Botswana will arrive in the country on August 27.
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