Makusha shines in USA

By Collin Matiza
ZIMBABWE’S top long jumper Ngonidzashe Makusha continued with his build-up for this year All-Africa Games by recording the fourth-best jump of the year in the United States at the weekend.
Makusha, who is on a four-year athletics scholarship at Florida State University, recently indicated that he would like to be part of Team Zimbabwe for the 2011 All-Africa Games that are set to run from September 3 to 18 in Maputo, Mozambique.
The young athlete said he would like to use the continental sporting showcase to fine-tune himself for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
And Makusha moved a gear up in his preparations for both the 2011 All-Africa Games and the 2012 London Games by leaping 7,92 metres at the Tyson Invitational meet at Fayetteville in Arkansas, United States, at the weekend.
According to reports from Fayetteville, in the jumps, Makusha jumped 26 feet (7,92m), which is the fourth-best jump in the United States.
Freshman and Makusha’s fellow countryman Paul Madzivire added his name to the list of potential ACC scorers with a 24-foot (7.31m) long jump and a 49-foot (14.94m) triple jump.
In the triple jump, Madzivire finished behind fellow freshman Phillip Young, who broke the 50-foot barrier with a two-foot personal record jump of 50’11”.
But it was Makusha’s outstanding performance in the long jump event that must have sent tongues wagging at Florida State University at the weekend.
In Fayetteville, the 22-year-old Zimbabwean was competing in his second meet of the year after he took part at the Razorback Invitational indoor competition in the same town at the end of last month.
At last month’s event, Makusha leaped 7,99m and was beaten into second place by American Marquise Goodwin who won the event in a personal best 8,14m.
And it seems like things are looking good for Makusha as he steps up his preparations for the 2011 All-Africa Games and the 2011 London Olympic Games.
Makusha is one of the country’s brightest medal prospects at both Games after he announced his arrival on the international athletics scene with a fine performance at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, where he missed a bronze medal by a whisker. Competing at the Olympic Games for the first time in Beijing, Makusha came agonisingly close to winning Zimbabwe its first Olympics medal in track and field events. He missed a bronze medal by one centimetre with a good jump of 8,19m.