# Isaac Makwala

Isaac Makwala (born 24 September 1985) is a Botswana sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.

## Career

He was the gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games in 2018. He has also won continental titles at the distance, winning at the 2015 African Games and twice at the African Championships in Athletics (2012, 2014). He has represented his country Botswana at the 2016 Summer Olympics, three times at the Commonwealth Games, and five times at the World Championships in Athletics (2007, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017). With the Botswana 4 × 400 metres relay team he has won the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a silver medal at the 2017 IAAF World Relays and medals at the African Games and Championships.
His personal best time of 43.72, set 5 July 2015 in La Chaux-de-Fonds was an African continental record and ranks him 13th on the all-time list. He is also a sub-20 200 metres runner.
On July 14, 2017, Isaac Makwala became the first man in history to run a 200 m within 20 seconds and a 400 m within 44 seconds on the same day by running 43.92 in the 400, then 19.77 (no wind) in the 200, 2 hours and 20 minutes later at the Meeting de Atletismo Madrid.
He qualified for 400m final at the 2017 World Championships, before being withdrawn from the race, due to illness. He then qualified for the 200 m final, placing overall sixth.
He competed in the 400m at the 2020 Summer Olympics, finishing 7th in the final.

## Major competitions record

Representing  Botswana :
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
| 2007 | All-Africa Games | Algiers, Algeria | 17th (sf) | 400 m | 47.02 |
| 2007 | All-Africa Games | Algiers, Algeria | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:03.16 |
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 14th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:05.96 |
| 2008 | African Championships | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 2nd | 400 m | 45.64 |
| 2008 | African Championships | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | 4th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:06.54 |
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 34th (h) | 400 m | 46.45 |
| 2010 | World Indoor Championships | Doha, Qatar | – (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | DQ |
| 2010 | African Championships | Nairobi, Kenya | 14th (sf) | 400 m | 46.92 |
| 2010 | African Championships | Nairobi, Kenya | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:05.16 |
| 2010 | Commonwealth Games | Melbourne, Australia | 20th (sf) | 400 m | 47.07 |
| 2010 | Commonwealth Games | Melbourne, Australia | 5th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:04.65 |
| 2011 | All-Africa Games | Maputo, Mozambique | 7th | 400 m | 46.78 |
| 2012 | World Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 5th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:13.21 (NR) |
| 2012 | African Championships | Porto Novo, Benin | 1st | 400 m | 45.25 |
| 2012 | African Championships | Porto Novo, Benin | – | 4 × 400 m relay | DQ |
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 28th (h) | 200 m | 20.84 |
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 22nd (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:05.74 |
| 2014 | Commonwealth Games | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 9th (sf) | 400 m | 45.57 |
| 2014 | African Championships | Marrakech, Morocco | 2nd | 200 m | 20.51 |
| 2014 | African Championships | Marrakech, Morocco | 1st | 400 m | 44.23 |
| 2014 | African Championships | Marrakech, Morocco | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:01.89 |
| 2015 | World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 8th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:03.73 |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 5th | 400 m | 44.63 |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 9th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 2:59.95 |
| 2015 | African Games | Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo | 1st | 400 m | 44.35 |
| 2015 | African Games | Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:00.95 |
| 2016 | African Championships | Durban, South Africa | 4th | 400 m | 46.58 |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 22nd (sf) | 400 m | 46.60 |
| 2016 | Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 5th | 4 × 400 m relay | 2:59.06 |
| 2017 | World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 2nd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:02.28 |
| 2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 6th | 200 m | 20.44 |
| 2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 4th (sf) | 400 m | 44.30$^1$ |
| 2018 | Commonwealth Games | Gold Coast, Australia | 1st | 400 m | 44.35 |
| 2018 | Commonwealth Games | Gold Coast, Australia | 1st | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:01.78 |
| 2019 | African Games | Rabat, Morocco | 8th (sf) | 400 m | 46.55 |
| 2021 | World Relays | Chorzów, Poland | 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:04.77 |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 7th | 400 m | 44.94 |
| 2021 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 3rd | 4 × 400 m relay | 2:57.27 |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, United States | 21st (sf) | 400 m | 46.04 |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, United States | 6th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:00.14 |
$^1$Did not start in the final

### Personal bests

* 200 metres - 19.77 secs, Madrid, Spain, 14 July 2017
* 400 metres - 43.72 secs (#2 African all time), La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, 5 July 2015.

### Track records

As of 16 September 2024, Makwala holds the following track records for 200 metres and 400 metres.

#### 200 metres

| Location | Time | Windspeed m/s | Date |
| Madrid | 19.77 | 0.0 | 14/07/2017 |

#### 400 metres

| Location | Time | Date |
| Brazzaville | 44.35 | 15/09/2015 |
| Gold Coast Queensland | 44.35 | 10/04/2018 |
| La Chaux-de-Fonds | 43.72 NR | 05/07/2015 |
| Marrakesh | 44.23 | 12/08/2014 |