Christine Mboma

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Christine Mboma
Mboma in 2021
Personal information
Full nameChristine Katiku Mboma
Born (2003-05-22) 22 May 2003 (age 20)
Shinyungwe, Kavango East, Namibia
Sport
CountryNamibia
SportAthletics
ClubQuinton-Steele Botes AC[1]
Coached byHenk Botha[2]
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Namibia
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo 200 m
Diamond League
First place 2021 200 m
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham 200 m
World U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Nairobi 200 m
Silver medal – second place 2021 Nairobi 4×100 m

Christine Mboma (born 22 May 2003)[2][3] is a Namibian sprinter who competes in the 100 metres and 200 m. At the age of 18, she won a silver medal in the 200 metres at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first ever Namibian woman to win a women's Olympic medal and breaking the world under-20 and African senior record.[4] Mboma also won the event at the 2021 World Under-20 Championships and Diamond League final, improving her record mark to 21.78 seconds.

In 2021, the 18-year-old set an unratified world under-20 and African senior record of 48.54 s in the 400 metres, which made her the seventh-fastest woman of all time at the event. The mark was established in June, while Mboma had previously twice broken a world U20 record in April of that year.[5]

Prior to the Tokyo Games, World Athletics had announced that Mboma and fellow Namibian sprinter Beatrice Masilingi would not be allowed to compete under the female classification in events between 400 metres and one mile due to its regulations on testosterone levels for athletes with XY disorders of sex development.[6][7][8]

Early life

Mboma grew up in Shinyungwe, a village in the Kavango East region of Namibia, as the eldest of three daughters. Her father abandoned her as a baby, and her mother, Patricia, died in 2016 while giving birth, leaving Christine to take care of her younger siblings. Mboma attended Shinyungwe Combined School and then Rocky Crest High School in 2017 and took up athletics.[9] As of 2021 she attends, together with fellow Namibian Olympian Beatrice Masilingi, Grootfontein Agricultural College.[10]

Career

Junior career

In May 2019, 16-year-old[A] Mboma won the 800 and 1500 metres events at the school's Cossasa Games in Manzini, Eswatini (no WA recognition, its database shows 2m 18.68s in the 800 m on 18 May in Windhoek, Namibia).[11] In July, at the Southern Africa Championships in Moka, Mauritius, she won a bronze medal in the 800 m, clocking 2:17.11.[12]

In November 2020, Mboma won gold medals in the 800m and 1500m races at the Namibian Championships in Windhoek.[13] On 9 December, she won the 400m and 800m events in Pretoria, South Africa; in the former distance she set her personal best of 51.81 s. She clocked an even better time of 51.57 s at the Namibian Youth Games in Windhoek on 17 December.[14]

2021

L to R: Coach Henk Botha, runner Beatrice Masilingi, and former president Sam Nujoma with Mboma at the Sam Nujoma Foundation, Walvis Bay, in 2021

On 27 March, the 18-year-old[A] improved to 50.97 s and won the 400 m race at the Grand Prix Meet in Oshakati, Namibia. On 11 April, at the All Comers Meet in Lusaka, Zambia, she massively lowered her PB to 49.24 s. She set the Namibian senior and unofficial world under-20 record, breaking previous WU20R mark of 49.42, which was set in 1991 by Gritt Breuer.[15][16] Beatrice Masilingi came second in 49.53 s. A week later, on 17 April, at the Namibian Championships in Windhoek, Mboma took 0.2 s off her record, stopping the clock at 49.22 s. The next day, the women's 4x100 m relay team set the Namibian record at 44.78 s.[17][18] On 7 June, Mboma set new PB, Namibian and a meet record of 22.67 s in the 200 m at the Josef Odložil Memorial in Prague to take a gold medal.[19]

On 30 June, Mboma set an unratified African senior and new world U20 record in the 400 m greatly lowering her PB even further. She timed 48.54 seconds to break the 49.10 s 1996's mark of Falilat Ogunkoya-Osheku and win the Irena Szewińska Memorial in Bydgoszcz, Poland, becoming the 7th fastest woman of all time in the event with the 12th fastest result ever.[20][21][5]

She was withdrawn from the 400 metres race at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics; the Namibian athletics federation announced that she would compete in the 200 m event for which she also qualified.[7] In the 200 m final on 3 August 2021, Mboma won a silver medal, coming in 0.28 seconds behind winner Elaine Thompson-Herah. She became the first Namibian woman ever to win an Olympic medal and the first Namibian medallist since 1996.[4] On 3 September 2021, she won the 200 m event during her debut Diamond League race in Brussels.[22][23] She concluded her very successful season with a win on 9 September at the Diamond League final in Zürich, clocking 21.78 s to take her first Diamond Trophy. In the process, she also set a new World under 20 and African record by breaking her own record from the Olympics by 0.03 seconds.[24]

Following her record-breaking season, Mboma was awarded the BBC African Sports Personality of the Year award.[25] She also won the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) African Female Hope Athlete award beating competition from Kenya's Jackline Chepkoech, and Nigeria's Tobi Amusan and Imaobong Uko.[26]

2022

Mboma opened up the season on 15 January with a 11.25 s 100 m performance in Swakopmund.[3]

She became a brand ambassador for Marathon Sugar in 2022.[27]

Testosterone levels controversy

In July 2021, the Namibian National Olympic Committee announced that Mboma and fellow Namibian sprinter Beatrice Masilingi would not be allowed to compete in the 400 m competition at the Tokyo Olympics,[6][28] due to World Athletics rules requiring that athletes with certain XY DSDs participating in women's running events from 400 metres to one mile cannot have blood testosterone levels above 5 nmol/L.[29][8] Mboma and Masilingi had undergone a medical assessment at a training camp in Italy in early 2021, at which they tested positive for elevated testosterone levels due to a naturally occurring genetic condition.[30][6] Both sprinters had been unaware of the condition prior to the evaluation.[30]

Parallels were drawn between Mboma and Masilingi and South African middle-distance runner Caster Semenya, who was the most prominent athlete to be affected by the World Athletics 2018 rule change, and who also did not participate in the 2020 Olympics.[31][30] The controversy around Mboma's withdrawal centered on the fact that the 2018 rule on testosterone levels explicitly applies to intersex athletes with XY DSDs such as Semenya, while Abner Xoagub, president of the Namibia National Olympic Committee, at first said in a voice clip that Mboma and Masilingi "have XX chromosomes."[32] The World Athletics regulations in question, however, apply only to athletes with an XY karyotype and a DSD diagnosis, casting doubt on Xoagub's statement.[30][33] Xoagub also accused World Athletics of breaking a confidentiality agreement concerning the results of the initial medical assessment.[32][34] Prior to the 2020 Olympics, the Namibia NOC issued an official statement acknowledging the assessment of World Athletics while stating that the athletes had previously been unaware of their condition.[35]

She was one of the athletes whose cases were profiled in Phyllis Ellis's 2022 documentary film Category: Woman.[36]

Achievements

All information taken from World Athletics profile.[3]

Personal bests

Event Time (s) Wind Venue Date Notes
100 metres 10.97 +1.6 m/s Gaborone, Botswana 30 April 2022
200 metres 21.78 +0.6 m/s Zürich, Switzerland 9 September 2021 World under-20 record (21.81)[B] African record
400 metres 49.22 Windhoek, Namibia 17 April 2021 (also 48.54 s not recognised)
800 metres 2:03.27 Lusaka, Zambia 10 April 2021 A
4x100 m relay 43.76 Nairobi, Kenya 22 August 2021 A NU20R NR

International competitions

Representing  Namibia
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time Notes
2021 Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 2nd 200 m 21.81 (+0.8 m/s) WU20R AR
World U20 Championships Nairobi, Kenya 1st 200 m 21.84 (+1.1 m/s) CR
2nd 4 × 100 m 43.76 NU20R NR
2022 Commonwealth Games Birmingham, United Kingdom 3rd 200 m 22.80

Circuit wins and titles

Season's bests

Year 400 m Notes 200 m Notes 100 m Notes
2020 51.57 A, PB 25.05 –
2021 49.22 48.54 unratified 21.78 WU20R AR –

Notes

  1. ^ a b Age described according to the rules of World Athletics. Technically, for age categories such as U18, U20 and U23, it is calculated "on 31 December of the year of competition" to avoid age group switching during a competitive season
  2. ^ Mboma's 21.81 seconds mark from the Tokyo Games was ratified as the world u20 record. Her 21.78 s result from the Diamond League final in Zürich was recognized as an "only" African record due to lack of doping control.

References

  1. ^ "Namibia National Track & Field Championships 2021 - Results". Athletics Namibia (PDF). 18 April 2021. p. 2. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b Hembapu, Otniel (25 March 2021). "Personality of the week - Up and close with lightening fast Christine Mboma". New Era. Archived from the original on 15 June 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "World Athletics: Christine MBOMA - Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Historic silver for Namibia's Mboma as Nigeria, Ghana win medals". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  5. ^ a b Wojs, Maciej (30 June 2021). "Kapitalny bieg na 400 m w Bydgoszczy. 18-latka z siódmym wynikiem w historii". TVP Sport (in Polish). Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021. Polish article with official video of the event. 1080p
  6. ^ a b c "Namibian teens out of Olympic 400m over testosterone levels". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  7. ^ a b Imray, Gerald (2 July 2021). "Namibia teenagers out of Olympic 400 over testosterone level". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  8. ^ a b "IAAF publishes briefing notes and Q&A on Female Eligibility Regulations". World Athletics. 7 May 2019. Archived from the original on 16 November 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  9. ^ Kambowe, Kenya (5 July 2021). "From Shinyungwe to the world: The story of Christine Katiku Mboma". Namibian Sun. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  10. ^ Ronay, Barney (2 August 2021). "Masilingi and Mboma racing against Olympic elite and complex cruelty". The Guardian.
  11. ^ Kambowe, Kenya (16 May 2019). "Cossasa heroes bag scholarships". Namibian Sun. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  12. ^ Schütz, Helge (10 July 2019). "Masilingi shines in Mauritius". The Namibian. Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Williams, Masilingi star at National Champs". The Namibian. 17 November 2020. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  14. ^ "Mboma sets world's fastest time". The Namibian. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Namibian teenagers stun the world". The Namibian. 12 April 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  16. ^ Smythe, Steve (13 April 2021). "Deanna Price goes No.3 all-time in the hammer – weekly round-up". Athletics Weekly. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Golden girls light up the track". The Namibian. 19 April 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  18. ^ Smythe, Steve (19 April 2021). "Junior records for Athing Mu and Christine Mboma - weekly round-up". Athletics Weekly. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  19. ^ "Mboma wins gold in Prague". The Namibian. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  20. ^ "Official Results – 400 m Women/kobiet" (PDF). bydgoszczcup.pl. Kujawsko-Pomorski Związek Lekkiej Atletyki. 30 June 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  21. ^ "All time Top lists – 400 m Women – Senior Outdoor | until 2021-07-01". World Athletics. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021. Change filters for other age / territorial / time range
  22. ^ "Mondo Duplantis and Christine Mboma shine at Brussels Diamond League". Olympics. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  23. ^ Netherton, Alexander (3 September 2021). "Brussels Diamond League - Christine Mboma wins 200m to follow up Tokyo Olympic silver, Dina Asher-Smith takes third". Eurosport. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  24. ^ "Namibian teenager Mboma storms Diamond League debut". Africa News. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  25. ^ "Mboma wins BBC African Sports Personality of the Year". BBC Sport. 7 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  26. ^ CAA (4 January 2022). "African Awards for the Year 2021; Joshua CHEPTEGEI, Faith KIPYEGON, Jacob KIPLIMO, Christine MBOMA awarded". CAA. Confederation of African Athletics. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  27. ^ Shinedima, Samuel (27 June 2022). "Christine Mboma named brand ambassador of Marathon Sugar". Informanté. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  28. ^ Savage, Rachel (22 July 2021). "False start for intersex athletes barred from Olympics". Reuters. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  29. ^ "IAAF introduces new eligibility regulations for female classification". World Athletics. 26 April 2018. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  30. ^ a b c d Cacciola, Scott; Longman, Jeré (3 August 2021). "Barred From 400 Meters, Namibia's Mboma Wins Silver in the 200". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  31. ^ "Caster Semenya expected to be affected by IAAF rule changes". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  32. ^ a b Nikodemus, Sheefeni (6 July 2021). "Namibia calls out World Athletics". The Namibian. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  33. ^ "Athletics-Namibian sprinters resurrect 'paradox' of DSD rules". Reuters. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  34. ^ "NNOC slams World Athletics over handling of Masilingi and Mboma cases". www.insidethegames.biz. 9 July 2021. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  35. ^ Wells, Adam (2 July 2021). "Christine Mboma, Beatrice Masilingi Ineligible for Olympics Due to Testosterone Level". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  36. ^ "New Canadian documentary explores Caster Semenya story in human-rights terms". Canadian Running, April 29, 2022.
  37. ^ "Wanda Diamond League Final | Letzigrund - Zürich (SUI) | 8th-9th September 2021" (PDF). Diamond League. 9 September 2021. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

External links

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