‘I lean on my team’ – Mboma
Christine Mboma says competing at elite level requires mental strength, not forgetting team support.
LIMBA MUPETAMI
WINDHOEK
Christine Mboma, Namibia’s silver Olympic medallist, says receiving advice or tips from senior athletes at elite level is something she hasn’t experienced yet, and that she continues to focus on her races and leans on her team for support.
Asked by Namibian Sun about what kind of sportsmanship exists between her and the likes of Jamaica’s five-time Olympic champion Ellaine Thompson-Herah or Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Mboma said she speaks to Thompson-Herah sometimes, but not for very long.
‘‘Everyone is focused on their own ‘thing’. But they are great athletes, and I can learn a lot from them. So yes, they are cool,” said Mboma.
The teenager, who burst into elite running not so long ago, is scheduled to take part in the 71st Boris Hanžekovic Memorial event in Zagreb, Croatia, tonight at 20:40.
Her fellow Olympic finalist, Beatrice Masilingi, will not compete in the event, according to their coach Henk Botha.
Botha explained that both athletes are doing fine. However, Masilingi is done for the season as she needs to rest.
“There is a possibility that she might take on the indoor season (60 metres), as she is fast from the blocks. There will be stress on her body if she takes on any other race before that.
“We had a conversation with her and she is in agreement. She would have loved to do one more race, but she hasn’t trained for it,” explained Botha.
Masilingi was suffering from flu prior to the Wanda Diamond League final and pulled out of the race to recover.
The race was won by Mboma last week Friday in Zurich, Switzerland. She pipped Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson to the line, setting a new under-20 world record of 21.78 seconds, while Dina Asher Smith of Great Britain came third.
Mboma and Jackson will again cross paths in today’s race as they attempt to beat the record of 22.35 seconds which was set by America’s Allyson Felix on 4 September 2012.
After the race in Croatia, Mboma will take on one last race - the Kip Keini Classic in Kenya.
WINDHOEK
Christine Mboma, Namibia’s silver Olympic medallist, says receiving advice or tips from senior athletes at elite level is something she hasn’t experienced yet, and that she continues to focus on her races and leans on her team for support.
Asked by Namibian Sun about what kind of sportsmanship exists between her and the likes of Jamaica’s five-time Olympic champion Ellaine Thompson-Herah or Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Mboma said she speaks to Thompson-Herah sometimes, but not for very long.
‘‘Everyone is focused on their own ‘thing’. But they are great athletes, and I can learn a lot from them. So yes, they are cool,” said Mboma.
The teenager, who burst into elite running not so long ago, is scheduled to take part in the 71st Boris Hanžekovic Memorial event in Zagreb, Croatia, tonight at 20:40.
Her fellow Olympic finalist, Beatrice Masilingi, will not compete in the event, according to their coach Henk Botha.
Botha explained that both athletes are doing fine. However, Masilingi is done for the season as she needs to rest.
“There is a possibility that she might take on the indoor season (60 metres), as she is fast from the blocks. There will be stress on her body if she takes on any other race before that.
“We had a conversation with her and she is in agreement. She would have loved to do one more race, but she hasn’t trained for it,” explained Botha.
Masilingi was suffering from flu prior to the Wanda Diamond League final and pulled out of the race to recover.
The race was won by Mboma last week Friday in Zurich, Switzerland. She pipped Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson to the line, setting a new under-20 world record of 21.78 seconds, while Dina Asher Smith of Great Britain came third.
Mboma and Jackson will again cross paths in today’s race as they attempt to beat the record of 22.35 seconds which was set by America’s Allyson Felix on 4 September 2012.
After the race in Croatia, Mboma will take on one last race - the Kip Keini Classic in Kenya.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article