Botswana at the Olympics
Botswana made its debut at the Olympics by sending a seven-athlete team to represent them in the 1980 Summer Games, held in Moscow, USSR. The all-runner team consisted of Lucien Josiah, Joseph Ramotshabe, Langa Mudongo, Ishmael Mhaladi, Robert Chideka, Golekane Mosweu and Wilfred Kareng. Of the seven athletes, only two advanced.
Their luck did not change much in the next Summer Games held in Los Angeles, California, USA. As a matter of fact, for years, the Botswana delegation to the Summer Games has mostly been for athletics. 32 years after their Olympic debut, Botswana tasted Olympic honors when track runner Nijel Amos took the silver for the men's 800 meters. 18-year-old Amos finished second in 1min 41.73sec behind a world record 1:40.91 by Kenya's David Rudisha.
The 2012 Botswana delegation was the smallest in their history sending only four athletes to represent the country. Female runner Amantle Montsho was a favorite among the four to be the first one to bring home an Olympic medal and was also the team's flag bearer that year. Fellow runners Isaac Makwala, Nijel Amos, and boxer Oteng Oteng were behind her in the procession. The 2012 London Olympics is by far their most successful in the Olympics despite sending the smallest team ever.
Botswana, as with most African nations, has never sent athletes to the Winter Games.
Related Pages
- List of all countries that have participated at the Olympic Games.
- About sport in Botswana.
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