Lesotho’s medal hopes quashed
MASERU — Lesotho’s hopes of clinching its first medal at the London Olympics Games were on Tuesday extinguished when sprinter Mosito Lehata finished last in the 200-metre race.
Lehata finished last in heat one in 20 seconds 74 mini-seconds.
Up against the likes of Jamaica’s Yohan Blake, the 22-year-old athlete went into the competition as an underdog but still managed to put a heroic fight for his country.
Blake came first in 20.38, 37 mini-seconds faster than Lehata.
Lesotho began its campaign at the Olympics last Friday with swimmer ’Masempe Theko finishing last in the group stage.
’Mamoroallo Tjoka also failed to live up to expectations after a dismal performance in the 42.2-kilometres marathon on Sunday.
Tjoka finished 90th in a competition that was contested by 107 female runners from around the globe.
Lesotho Amateur Athletics Association (LAAA) spokesperson, Sejanamane Maphathe, said Lehata must be commended for his performance on Tuesday.
“We must congratulate the boy for his performance despite coming last,” Maphathe said.
“He was up against top athletes in the world and going into the competition as an underdog, the boy did a sterling job.”
Maphathe said Lehata might have been affected by fatigue.
“As administrators, I think we must shoulder the blame here because this boy has within a month been travelling from Mauritius to Lesotho, from Lesotho to Wales and from Wales to London,” Maphathe said.
“Some of these top athletes Lehata was up against started their training sessions way back in May and have been staying (in London) to avoid travelling fatigue,” he said.
Travelling can cause fatigue and affect an athlete’s performance, he said.
“We must in future draw a clear plan for our athletes, decide if they go stay in a competition venue ealier or go there just in time for a competition,” he said.
Lehata’s Tuesday time was a clear indication that something wrong happened.
“This just shows that something went wrong and I strongly suspect it is travelling fatigue,” he said.
Maphathe said there was also need to congratulate Tjoka.
“She finished the race in 2:43 and that is within her past recorded times. She has been finishing and winning races within this time and despite finishing 90th, she tried her best,” he said.
Lesotho’s last hope of winning a medal now lies on Tšepo Ramonene.
Ramonene will be competing in the 42.2km marathon on Sunday.
Comment by maincampus on 9 August 2012:
Let’s be honest: there were never any medal hopes. Let’s not kid ourselves. I hear some mediocre people consoling themselves by saying Mosito ran with the best in the world. That’s hog wash: HE CAME LAST
Comment by maincampus on 9 August 2012:
Let’s be honest: there were never any medal hopes. Let’s not kid ourselves. I hear some mediocre people consoling themselves by saying Mosito ran with the best in the world. That’s hog wash: HE CAME LAST. As for the marathon: FORGET IT
Comment by Mokotla on 9 August 2012:
‘nete! fela eseng ena ea lona mapotoana,i mean what Manchumpans*whatever his name is* is saying is true…ba re jesitse re tlohele ho potoloha ra bua ntho li hana ho fela joaloka ha Maphathe a ntsa pota
Comment by Mathafeng on 9 August 2012:
Masempe o hlotsoe ke lesea la 12yrs; ausi eno o tlohile mona a sa ntsa tseba hore medal fokol- her opponents are 2X faster and she is also over wieght…. Mahlabisa lihlong
Comment by Kokota on 9 August 2012:
The is always something wrong the administration. In 2008 it was unsuitable gear later ‘our athletes’ did no give their all. This time is travelling fatigue. Maphathe please man, when are you gonna learn to make proper preparations?
Comment by Thabane Sutu on 9 August 2012:
A ke le mpheng li contact details tsa Mosito nke ke mo lokisetse hore a tle America mona sekolong! He has potential, but his technique, power, endurance etc..ha lia nepahala. He was never going to medal at these games..Blake, Bolt, Spearmon etc are just too good!
Comment by My mother said on 9 August 2012:
Well he lives in Mauritius, how lucky should not complain about fatique. They camped in Wales so did the Jamaican team I do not hear them complaining about fatique.
Our girl came last in the group of the slowest!
The conditions for the marathon were tough. So I feel sorry for Mamorallo.
We need to invest in sports and support our Athletes, I hear people talking about medals now and yet no one is talking about how do this people manage to do full time jobs and come and run professionally?
Comment by My mother said on 10 August 2012:
@Thabane Suto, have you not heard that Mosito is a Minister’s Son and lives in Mauratius, if he wanted to come to America he would have done that years ago. If you are into inspiring the nation there are so many young Basotho who could benefit from schemes like that.
Comment by pit on 10 August 2012:
Can someone help me understand how someone who doesn’t even have a personal best get a call up for swimming in the Olympics is smell nepotism and disrespect torus as a nation. I dare anyone to prove me wrong.just check the video and he pics and tell me if just looking at her is not disgraceful
Comment by Rudisha on 10 August 2012:
Cow dust Lesotho sent more delegates as opposed to sportsmen/women,let’s start with the basics.Olympics is not pap and vleis.
Comment by Mokhomotsane on 13 August 2012:
Ha fela limathi tsa Lesotho li lutse li matha fela RSA le bo Botswana, kea ba tiisetsa ba tla lula ba tlontloloha mehla ena olympics. Linaha tsena tsa SADC ha li na bokhoni ba marathon hohang. Lesotho keng ha le sa etele Kenya le Ethiopia ba ke ba ilo iithuta hore na ba etsa joang hore ba be competitive hakale in marathons? South Africa mabelong in general e sebelitse hampe, ke Caster feela ea entseng bobetere ho 800m le ka ho hapa silver. Joale IOC Lesotho a ke le qopitseng malebela linaheng tse matla. Li-resource hase tsona tse ka etsang hore limathi li siee mabelong empa bokhoni le boikemisetso ba bona joaloka limathi tsa Ethiopia le Kenya le Uganda. Kea ba lebohela bana bao ba Africa.
Comment by Mokhomotsane on 13 August 2012:
@Thabane Sutu, ho lula America ho u mathetse hloohong hoo u tsamaeang u praisa hohle moo hore u ka batlela batho sekolo? U bona eka Mosito o ts’erehane haholo hoo a ke keng a ipatlela sekolo eena? Ha le ruruhi lihlooho le khale Basotho ha le le linaheng tsa batho tse ruileng. Ke ka hona le tummeng ka boits’oaro bo bobe hakana linaheng tsa batho ba bang!!!
Comment by Silky on 15 August 2012:
Useless runners and splashers! not fit to be called athletes and swimmers!!
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