Botswana (BOT)

Botswana formed a National Olympic Committee in 1978, which was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 21 April 1980 at the meeting of the IOC Executive Board in Lausanne. Since 1980 Botswana has competed at every Olympic Games. Formerly called Bechuanaland (before the independence from the United Kingdom in 1966), the country never made an Olympic appearance under that name. In 2004 Amantle Montsho became the first female athlete to compete for Botswana when she was eliminated in the first round of the 400 metres. Botswana has not yet competed at the Olympic Winter Games. Thru 2012, there have been 62 Botswanan Olympians, mostly in track & field athletics (47), but they have also been represented in boxing (9), judo (1), sailing (1), and swimming (4). In 2012 Nijel Amos won the first ever medal for Botswana with silver in the men’s 800 metres. Prior to that, the best performance has been by Glody Dube, who made it to the final of the 2000 men’s 800 metres, placing seventh.