Botswana at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Botswana at the 2016 Summer Olympics
IOC code	BOT
NOC	Botswana National Olympic Committee
in Rio de Janeiro
Competitors	12 in 3 sports
Flag bearer	Nijel Amos [1]
Medals	Gold 0 Silver 0 Bronze 0 Total 0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024

Botswana competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's tenth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics.

Botswana National Olympic Committee sent the nation's largest delegation to the Games. A total of 12 athletes, 9 men and 3 women, were selected to compete only in athletics, judo, and swimming. The nation's team was relatively larger by two-thirds of its size from London 2012, where Botswana registered only four athletes. ^[2]

Among the Botswana athletes on the team were freestyle swimmer Naomi Ruele, and middle-distance runner Nijel Amos, who built a historic milestone as the nation's first ever Olympic medalist, earning a silver in the men's 800 metres. The most successful athlete from London 2012, Amos was selected to lead the team as Botswana's flag bearer into the opening ceremony. ^[1]

Botswana, however, left Rio de Janeiro without a single medal, failing to reproduce it from the previous Games. The men's 4 × 400 m relay squad, led by top sprinter Isaac Makwala, came close to adding another medal for Botswana, but finished fifth in the final. ^[3]

Athletics

Main articles: Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics and Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Botswana athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event): ^{[4] [5] [6]}

Key

• Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
• Q = Qualified for the next round
• q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
• NR = National record
• N/A = Round not applicable for the event
• Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round

Track & road events

Men

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Isaac Makwala	400 m	45.91	3 Q	46.60	8	did not advance
Karabo Sibanda		45.56	3 Q	44.47	3 q	44.25	5
Baboloki Thebe		45.41	3 Q	DNS		did not advance
Nijel Amos	800 m	1:50.46	7	did not advance
Boitumelo Masilo		1:48.48	6	did not advance
Nijel Amos Isaac Makwala Leaname Maotoanong Onkabetse Nkobolo Karabo Sibanda Baboloki Thebe	4 × 400 m relay	2:59.35 NR	3 Q	—		2:59.06 NR	5

Women

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Christine Botlogetswe	400 m	52.37	4	did not advance
Lydia Jele		52.24	4	did not advance

Judo

Main articles: Judo at the 2016 Summer Olympics and Judo at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Botswana received an invitation from the Tripartite Commission to send a judoka competing in the men's extra-lightweight category (60 kg) to the Olympics, signifying the nation's Olympic debut in the sport. ^[7]

Athlete	Event	Round of 64	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Repechage	Final / BM
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Gavin Mogopa	Men's −60 kg	Bye	Petříkov  (CZE) L 000–110	did not advance

Swimming

Main article: Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Botswana received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics, signifying the nation's return to the sport for the second time in history (the first being done in 2008). ^{[8] [9] [10] [11]}

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
David van der Colff	Men's 100 m backstroke	57.77	35	did not advance
Naomi Ruele	Women's 50 m freestyle	26.23	47	did not advance

References

1. "Amos Botswana flag bearer". Botswana Daily News. 5 August 2016. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
2. Mouwane, Tumelo (23 May 2016). "Two More Athletes Qualify For Rio". Mmegi . Retrieved 12 September 2016.
3. Klein, Alyssa (20 August 2016). "Botswana Came Heartbreakingly Close to Winning a Medal in the Men's 4×400 Relay". OkayAfrica.com. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
4. "iaaf.org – Top Lists". IAAF. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
5. "IAAF Games of the XXX Olympiad – Rio 2016 Entry Standards" (PDF). IAAF . Retrieved 18 April 2015.
6. "Botswana: BAA Hails Athletes". AllAfrica.com . Retrieved 16 July 2016.
7. Kolantsho, Calistus (22 July 2016). "Olopeng to announce Olympics team". Mmegi. Archived from the original on 23 July 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
8. "Swimming World Rankings". FINA. Archived from the original on 6 January 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
9. "Rio 2016 – FINA Swimming Qualification System" (PDF). Rio 2016 . FINA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
10. "Naomi Ruele Becomes Botswana's First Olympic Swimmer". Swimming World Magazine. 9 July 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
11. "Randy Horner of Florida International to Coach Botswana's Olympic Swimmers". Swimming World Magazine. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.

External links

• Botswana at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Rio2016.com. at the Wayback Machine (archived 24 August 2016)
• Botswana at the 2016 Summer Olympics at SR/Olympics (archived)