Chauke rallies Nyasango for Rio games

his preparations.
Chauke, is credited with grooming Nyasango and Jane Makombe when the athletes were still students at Kuwadzana High School at the turn of the millennium.
Nyasango finished a credible 7th at the Olympic Games in London on Sunday and his time of 2 hours 12 minutes 08 seconds was his personal best.
Another seasoned Zimbabwean runner, Wirimai Juwawo, finished 15th and posted his season’s best time of 2 hours 14 minutes 09 seconds.
In the run-up to the Olympic Games in London, Chauke worked with both Nyasango and Juwawo as the athletes shaped for the Games.
“Generally, I think the boys ran very well considering the kind of help they received prior to the Games.
“The Olympics are championship Games and athletes who finish in the top 15 should have a higher pedigree.
“It’s unlike the London or New York marathon where athletes place speed-setters who then drop out.
“Naturally, as someone who worked with the boys at times, I was happy because Cutbert recorded his personal best while Wirimai managed his season’s best,” said Chauke.
Chauke believes that stakeholders should now draw lessons from the just ended Games and start building a team for the next edition in Brazil.
“If we can manage to get a seventh position finish ahead of athletes from Ethiopia, Kenya and Eritrea, it means a lot.
“Naturally I am happy because we showed some improvement and need to build on for the next Games,” said Chauke.
Chauke, who is a sports director at a Christian centre in the capital, said both Juwawo and Nyasango should be the focus for 2016 Games. Wirimai appeared to hit the wall on the 40km mark and that was when he developed stiff calves and was not able to run properly. He only loosened up after one and half kilometres and by that time he had dropped from position nine.
“Now we need stakeholders who can come and partner these athletes.
“Personally, the two are our brightest medal prospects if they get enough funding for their training early.
“We should also be grooming other athletes who should replace them in future.
“At the Rio Olympics, Cutbert should be 34 years old yet the American guy who came fourth in London is now 37.
“So if stakeholders like Government and the corporate world pool their resources together early, we should be able to get a medal next time,” said Chauke.