As the sporting world prepares for the prestigious Olympic Games, opening ceremony tonight, four Namibian athletes carry the hope of a medal for Namibia on their shoulders. 

These athletes, namely Helalia Johannes, Vera Looser, Alex Miller and Phillip Seidler, will stand tall among the best in the world for a podium finish.

Many might say that they stand a slim chance, while others are holding their thumbs for a surprise turn of events for Namibia to smile. 

While the likes of youngsters Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi are notable absentees, Namibia now turns their support to the nation’s best in marathon running, cycling and swimming.

The Namibia Sports Commission’s chief administrator Freddy Mwiya said:

“Anything can happen in marathon and mountain biking. We are facing the global world, but with preparation and experience, let’s give our small team the benefit of the doubt, as this is sport”.

Here are some quick facts about the four athletes.

Most decorated: Johannes

Johannes (43) has been running since pre-primary school. She would run to school and back. She has always enjoyed running.

“It’s not easy to do the Olympics consistently. It makes me feel at ease, and I feel good. It takes dedication for you to know what you want in life. I am thankful to God, and will not let this opportunity go. I am going to fight, and God will let me,” she said.

This will be her fifth time at the Olympics. She has also represented Namibia at three World Championships, finishing in 11th place at both the Tokyo 2020 and London 2012 Games. 

She holds national records in the 10 000 metres, half-marathon and marathon, and was a bronze medallist at the 2019 World Athletics Championships marathon.

Johannes has been competing on the international stage since 2005, and qualified for her first Olympics at age 28.

At the Beijing 2008 Games, she was 40th in the marathon in 2:35:22. 

She lowered her personal best in the following Olympic cycle, and broke the Namibian marathon record at the next Olympics in London, taking 11th place in 2:26:09. 

She was 56th at the Rio 2016 Olympic marathon.

Her next breakthrough came at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, where she won the marathon in 2:32:40, becoming the first Namibian woman to win a Commonwealth gold medal. 

She continued to lower her marathon personal best and the national record, becoming the first woman to win a medal for Namibia at the World Athletics Championships in 2019, and running the Valencia Marathon in 2:19:52 in 2020.

Well-prepared: Looser

The 30-year-old Looser said she has always been motivated by not doing well. 

She started cycling super-early, and has always enjoyed the sport. However, she noted that she is 10 years behind some of her opponents.

Looser is a Namibian road cyclist and mountain biker, who most recently rode for the UCI Women’s Continental Team InstaFund Racing. 

She represented Namibia at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games, as well as at the 2016 Summer Olympics. 

She has won the Namibian National Time Trial Championships on seven occasions, and the Namibian National Road Race Championships on 10 occasions, including nine consecutive years between 2014 and 2022.

Previous Olympic results: 2016 Rio de Janeiro road race.Did not finish.  

Tokyo 2021 road race: did not finish.

Hardworking: Miller

Miller (23) grew up on a farm in the southern part of Namibia, and enjoys being outdoors. This is his second time at the Olympics. 

He said he has become stronger, and grown mentally and physically. He has won the men’s cross-country bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, and the African title in 2022. He followed this up with a silver on his UCI Marathon World Cup debut in the Czech Republic in May this year. 

He finished 31st in the Mountain Bike event at his first Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

Miller will make his second appearance at the global championship, representing Namibia in the Men’s Cross-Country event on 29 July. 

He will share the national flag-bearer responsibility with Looser.

Most likely to surprise: Seidler

Seidler said the ocean feels like a second home, as it is where he feels most comfortable. He added that he feels like a shark trapped in a human’s body. 

He started swimming at the age of five after breaking his arm. 

He noted that swimming is a lonely sport, and that he is trained by his mom and brother, though they keep the family and professional relationships apart. 

This will mark his second consecutive Olympic appearance, following his participation at the Tokyo 2020 Games in Japan in 2021.

During the last Olympics, Seidler finished 16th with a time of 1:53:14. 

He qualified for this year’s competition by winning the 10km open-water African championship at the Aquatic World Championship in Doha.

Despite a less-than-ideal performance in the 2021 Tokyo Games, he expresses his readiness for the upcoming Games. 

-lmupetami@nepc.com.na