Botswana’s Nijel Amos, an Olympic 800m silver medallist in 2012, has been banned for three years after testing positive for metabolites. Photo: AFP
Nijel Amos puts Botswana’s first Olympic medal up for sale
Botswana runner Nijel Amos will sell the country’s first ever Olympic medal following his fight to clear his drug ban.
Botswana’s Nijel Amos, an Olympic 800m silver medallist in 2012, has been banned for three years after testing positive for metabolites. Photo: AFP
Botswana runner Nijel Amos will sell the country’s first ever Olympic medal following his fight to clear his drug ban.
Amos won the Olympic silver medal in 2012 in the 800m but it could be yours …
Tthe 29-year-old is serving three-year ban for doping. And the impact has been severe on his family.
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Amos drained
“It has been a financially draining process,” he said as reported by the BBC.
Amos says “the effort to clear my name and that of my beloved nation Botswana in the past daunting 11 months”.
He added: “At this time, my only investment or pension is the famous 2012 Olympic silver medal. I am in touch with different stakeholders, including financial advisors, on how that can sustain me and my family.
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“I met with a team that wants to buy it with a value of 4.5m Botswana pula (300,000 US dollars), but with my documentary coming out on Netflix it could change the value to 7.5m.
“It is extremely difficult to survive as an athlete in Botswana where we are not given pension or any lump sum insurance payouts.”
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Nijel Amos (left), David Rudisha (middle) and Timothy Kitum (right). Image: Getty Images.
Amos says he had no choice but to sign the admission of guilt.
“I am very much aware that the ruling made by AIU brings shame to the nation,” he said.
“I would like to humbly apologise to my beloved country, its citizens, fellow athletes and athletic bodies in the country.
“However, I am of the belief that if I had support from my native sports bodies, we would be facing a different outcome.”
Amos carried his country’s flag at Rio 2016 and took advice from his legal team.
“Given the circumstances surrounding the case, my legal team and I saw it fit to take that direction so that I get a reduction on my ban.”
Amos will be 31 when his ban ends but has said he won’t retire.
“I have no plans to retire,” Amos said. “I am still in good shape and I am hopeful that I will rise again in the World Championships in 2025.
“I know not everyone is going to be happy, but my fellow athletes reached out – almost 75 percent of them – letting me know they are with me on the journey and they are waiting for me to come back.
“I have to understand that I am no longer doing it to be the best athlete in the world – I am coming out there to clear my name.”
