OTC Elite’s Amos prevails in Diamond League 800m

By Curtis Anderson | Jun 18, 2019

EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon Track Club Elite’s Nijel Amos continued his winning ways in the 800 meters on the Diamond League circuit in Rabat, Morocco on June 16.

The 25-year-old Amos used a sustained kick on the home stretch to edge in front of Kenya’s Emmanuel Korir for a hard-earned victory – 1:45.57 to 1:45.60. It was the third 800m win of the outdoor season for the Botswanan, who won a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

Earlier this summer, Amos won 800m races in Doha, Qatar and Nanjing, China, and placed second by .02 in Rome with a season-best time of 1:43.65.

“We’re pleased that this race period is behind us,” OTC Elite coach Mark Rowland said. “Nijel used a variety of tactics to prepare for the World Championships. He will now head back to altitude to focus more effectively on his main target at the end of September.”

Elsewhere, OTC Elite’s Neil Gourley shaved three-hundredths of a second off his personal best in the 1,500m to place fifth at the Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle on June 15. Gourley, the reigning British indoor 1,500m champion, hit the tape in 3:35.95.

In upcoming races this week, OTC Elite’s Ben Blankenship is entered in the prestigious Emil Zápotek Memorial Mile at the 58th Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic on June 20. In addition, OTC Elite’s Hanna Green, Sabrina Southerland and Drew Piazza are expected to compete in the 800m at the 36th Harry Jerome Classic in Burnaby, B.C., on June 20. Gourley is a tentative entrant in the 1,500m.