Nijel Amos Is Selling His First-ever Special Olympic Medal

Botswana’s Nijel Amos says he is selling Botswana’s first Olympic medal, his 800m silver from the 2012 London Games, to assist with supporting his family after he got a three-year doping ban a week ago.

Botswana’s first Olympic medal of any color came from Amos, who won silver at the London Games. At the Tokyo Games in 2021, the African nation won a bronze medal in the men’s 4x400m relay.

The medication found in the 29-year-old’s system, GW1516, changes how the body uses fat, and the World Anti Doping Organization has said it represents a health risk to athletes.

“At this time, my only investment or pension is the famous 2012 Olympic silver medal,” Amos told reporters in Botswana on Tuesday.

“I am in touch with different stakeholders, including financial advisors, on how that can sustain me and my family.

“I met with a team that wants to buy it with a value of 4.5m Botswana pulas ($339,750), but with my documentary coming out on Netflix it could change the value to 7.5 million [pulas].”

Amos received a three-year ban from the Athletics Integrity Unit on May 3 after an out-of-competition test revealed a prohibited metabolite in his urine sample. It added that after Amos signed an admission, the ban was reduced from four years.

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Amos said he signed the admission on the advice of his legal team:

“Given the circumstances surrounding the case, my legal team and I saw it fit to take that direction so that I get a reduction on my ban.”

After serving his suspension, which expires in July 2025, he stated that he intends to return to the track.

“I have no plans to retire,” Amos said. “I am still in good shape and I am hopeful that I will rise again in the World Championships in 2025.”