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Ellina Mhlanga
Senior Sports Reporter
LONG-DISTANCE runner Ngonidzashe Ncube will have to wait a bit longer to make his second appearance at the World Athletics Championships after he missed the qualifying time during the Enschede Marathon in the Netherlands yesterday.
Ncube finished the race on position 7, in 2 hours 11 minutes 46 seconds.
The qualifying time for men for the World Championships is 2 hours 11 minutes 30 seconds. Ncube is one of the targeted athletes for marathon and had hoped to run the qualifying time yesterday.
He expressed his disappointment after the race. “The race was okay.
“I am disappointed that I did not run the qualifying time. Most of the race was okay but the wind affected me and I was really disappointed with the last 2km.
“I didn’t get enough rest since I arrived in the Netherlands. I was travelling alone, I had to attend the technical meeting and I needed to familiarise with the course before the race. So I was the athlete, coach and manager and it makes things difficult,” said Ncube.
Ncube said they still have to decide on his next move with his coach and manager.
“It’s not that easy to run 2.11 and finish seventh considering the elite field for this race… I have to plan with the coach and my manager and decide what’s next,” said Ncube.
The top 10 was dominated by the Kenyans with the pair of Julius Tuwei and Enock Onchari coming first and second.
Tuwei won the race in 2 hours 7 minutes 43 seconds and Onchari was second in a time of 2 hours 7 minutes 52 seconds.
Ethiopia’s Tadu Abate settled for third place in 2 hours 7 minutes 59 seconds.
Kenya’s Josphat Kiprotich was fourth in 2 hours 9 minutes 8 seconds while his fellow countrymen Kenneth Cheserek came fifth in 2 hours 10 minutes 23 seconds. On position six was Solomon Mutai of Uganda with a time of 2 hours 11 minutes 1 second.
The women’s race was won by Maurine Chepkemoi of Kenya in 2 hours 21 minutes 10 seconds.
Zimbabwe will have another attempt next month when some of the earmarked athletes for qualification to the global meet such as Munyaradzi Jari and Isaac Mpofu compete in South Africa.
It is likely to be the last race for the local runners chasing the qualifying time since the qualification period is closing on May 29 for marathon.
For the 10 000m, 20km race walk, relays and combined events, the window runs until June 26. For all other disciplines, the qualification period is closing on June 26.
Zimbabwe did not have any athlete that met the qualifying standards in athletics for the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games that were held last year.
Their only representative was Ngoni Makusha after the national association was awarded a universality slot.
The qualifying standards for the Olympics are the same standards being used for qualification to the World Championships and Zimbabwe is yet to qualify an athlete for the global meet scheduled for July 15 to 24 in the United States.
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