Amos had a rough 2015 and 2016, but now with Mark Rowland at OTC has got him back in the right direction. He says he's feeling good and is even talking about a WR attempt this summer.
Bett says he's actually more concerned about Poland's Adam Kszczot than Nijel Amos or Mo Aman.
Amos talks about being too poor to have toys when he was young and feeling self conscious the first time he bought himself a nice t-shirt. As a youth, he actually started out as a 5K/steeplechase runner and won championship races at the 1500/3000 distance.
Nijel Amos stepped down in distance to win the 400m in 45.73 while Dumisane Hlaselo (3:39) and Lebogang Phalula (4:20) won the 1500s.
A solid men's 800 has Nijel Amos, Mo Aman, Adam Kszczot and Taoufik Makhloufi. Bernard Lagat, Isiah Koech, Augustine Choge, Hassan Mead, Diego Estrada, Andy Vernon in the 5000. World champ Marina Arzamsova vs Shannon Rowbury, Caster Semenya, Chanelle Price and Lynsey Sharp in the women's 800.
*IAAF Preview: Five World Champions Set For Berlin Renaud Lavillenie will try and get revenge on World champ Shawn Barber in the PV. Dawn Harper Nelson tries to get redemption in the 100H as she faces silver medalist Cindy Roleder and Euro champ Tiffany Porter.
Also America vs Jamaica relays, David Rudisha vs Nijel Amos, Greg Rutherford vs "the doubters" and Jessica Ennis vs Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
He added, "I thought we went slow but I wanted to take it more tactical this time round. I am able to run every sort of race. There's still a few weeks until the world championships, I'm building my mileage, and my speed is OK."
“In most of my races I’m a front-runner and it’s always difficult because my opponents can easily calculate my speed because they’re coming from behind ... I’m comfortable running from behind and even running in a tactical race."
Other quotes...
“It’s very difficult when you look at training sessions you used to do, and you realise you’re not in that form but this year I can say that compared to the last two years I’m really coming nicely,” he says. “My form is not bad. I only have to find the rhythm and get things right. It’s a matter of fine tuning. The form is almost there.”
“In most of my races I’m a front-runner and it’s always difficult because my opponents can easily calculate my speed because they’re coming from behind,” he admits. “That has been my weakness in the last 100m, whereby I don’t find my power of finishing. But I’m happy because for the first time since 2012 we’re able to move to faster 200m and 150m training which I did very well and successfully without feeling any pain in the calf.
Despite his physical improvements, Rudisha admits that he has thought about changing his famous front-running tactics to counter Amos’s devastating sprint finish. “I’m comfortable running from behind and even running in a tactical race,” he insists.
“I know I have power to sprint the last 100m as that’s where I originally started from before changing in 2009. In Zurich last year I ran from behind but I tried to push and I wasn’t strong enough, but at least it was good for me to remind myself where I started from. I might change tactics as I want to do what suits me most.”
Amos says the best piece of advice he ever got was from Olympic 1500 champ Taoufik Makhloufi who told him "no one will give you anything for free in this world ... So each day wake up and know you have to go out and work hard for what you want."
Makwala (who ran 44.01 last year) is best buds with Nijel Amos and the two often room together at meets.
Abebe Aregawi, Sifan Hassan and Faith Kipyegon in the 1500.
Amos says he doubted himself until this year's Pre Classic when Taoufik Makhloufi came up to him and told him he's the future. He also says his mind was weak at 2011 World Youths.
Amos will go for the 16-year-old WR of 1:15.12. In other Russian news, 2004 Olympic HJ champ Yelena Slesarenko has retired at age-32.
Genzebe Dibaba was pretty far off with 7.33-seconds. Nijel Amos was the closets pro with 9.71.
A lot of interesting anecdotes on Amos. Apparently he was coached to an 800 Olympic silver by a geography teacher who didn't know running and he is a musician going by the name of "DJ Zorro" on YouTube. He has a single coming out with his band, "Black Brothers".