Two more Lesotho athletes qualify for Rio 2016

Two more Lesotho athletes will be joining Mosito Lehata (centre)
 at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games

Two more Lesotho athletes have secured their spots at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

The two are Nomakoe Nkhasi and Tšepang Sello who secured their qualification at the Africa Senior Championships that were held in Durban, South Africa from June 22 to 26. Their trip to the Rio Games in August has been ratified by the Lesotho Amateur Athletics Association.

Nkhasi and Sello’s Rio qualification takes the number of track and field athletes to five. They join sprinter Mosito Lehata and marathon runners Tšepo Mathibelle and Lebenya Nkoka on the plane to Brazil in August.

In total, Team Lesotho currently has seven competitors with boxers Moroke Mokhotho and Inkululeko Suntele also Olympic-bound. Nkhasi qualified in the 5000 metres where he finished sixth in a time of 13 minutes, 21.58 seconds. The Mokhotlong born Nkhasi was raised in South Africa and first represented Lesotho earlier this year in Botswana. He has never competed at the Olympics before.

Sello is also based in South Africa. She qualified for Rio after placing fourth in the 1500 metres in a time of 4 minutes, 13.29 seconds.

Lesotho’s number one sprinter Mosito Lehata also continued his fine 2016 form by setting a new personal best 100 metres time of 10.04 seconds to win silver at the Africa Senior Championships.

Lehata beat his previous best of 10.11 seconds which he set last April in Mauritius. Lehata has already qualified for the Rio Olympics in August and is hoping to take his promising form into the Games.

The Rio Olympics are slated for August 5 to 21.