Amos Registers Monaco World Lead
Middle distance runner and Olympic silver medalist, Nijel Amos is now taking a rest ahead of the much-anticipated Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games.
Amos has not been competing on the international stage since picking an injury during the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. He was also not able to compete at the 2019 World Championships. The athlete has been focusing on training in the USA and Pretoria.
On Friday night, Amos stepped inside the track at the Monaco stadium the same venue where he qualified for Tokyo. He was up against the best middle distance runners in the world among them, Kenyan Emmanuel Korir.
Amos’ intention was to prove that he still has it in him for a podium finish at the Olympics. He exploded to the finish line to bring home an 800m world lead. Meanwhile, Pace maker, Patryk Sieradzki was asked for a 49 opening lap and obliged with a 48.96. At 600m in 1:15.69, a world lead looked inevitable as the first three were well away with Canadian Marco Arop battling Korir and Amos. It was a three-way battle down the straight and it was Amos who prevailed with a 1:42.91 ahead of Korir (1:43.04) and Arop (PB 1:43.26).
Amos told Sport Monitor on Saturday that his game plan was just to have fun, step by step and being out there racing was all he wanted.
“I have been working really hard in training but I just haven’t been racing. I had an injury when I was supposed to race in Doha, but coming back from injury and running 1:42 on Friday shows that things are going in the right direction towards the Olympics,” Amos said.
He said he will not be taking part in the next edition of the Diamond League as he puts on the finishing touches for the Olympics. Amos is expected to bring the muchneeded experience in Team Botswana in Tokyo.