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Ellina Mhlanga, Harare Bureau
ZIMBABWE’S rising triple jumper Chengetayi Mapaya lived up to expectations on Saturday when he claimed gold after a 16.30m leap at the African Junior championships in Algeria.
Mapaya’s 16.30m jump is also a new record for the junior championships as he beat the previous record of 15.84m set by El Mehd Kabbachi of Morocco in 2011.
Zimbabwe had a team of 20 athletes competing in the meet that started on Thursday and had by yesterday claimed nine medals — three gold, three silver and three bronze.
Mapaya’s previous best was 16.01m when he scooped Zimbabwe’s only gold medal at the Southern Region Senior championships in Harare last month.
He was one of the medal hopefuls going into this event and he just proved his capabilities, striking another gold for the country.
Earlier on Friday Gabri Mgbemna had also scooped gold in the girls 100m while Tinotenda Matiyenga got silver in the boys section.
The boys relay team made up of Dickson Kapandura, Matiyenga, Donavan Mutariswa and Kundai Maguranyanga weighed in with another gold on Saturday while the girls got silver, coming second behind hosts Algeria.
The girls relay team consisted of Alice Augustino, Mgbemna, Kudzai Nyachiya and Mascline Watama.
Maguranyanga and Matiyenga also got silver and bronze respectively in the boys 200m yesterday while Mgbemna took bronze in the girls’ event.
Nomatter Kapfudzaruva got bronze in the girls 400m.
Speaking from Algeria, National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe director in charge of junior development Silas Muringani was impressed with the performance.
“The team here in Algeria has been in superb form. They have been doing great, we have had wonderful results, unmatched before and we owe it to the association, the president Tendai Tagara,” he said.
Online Reporter