adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
LONG-DISTANCE runner Rutendo Nyahora is looking forward to her best performance at the IAAF World Championships starting this Friday in London.
The championships are running until August 13 and Zimbabwe will be represented in the marathon only after the track and field athletes failed to make it for the global meet.
The five-member team is made up of Olympians Cuthbert Nyasango, Pardon Ndhlovu, Nyahora as well as Millen Matende and Fortunate Chidzivo.
The trio of Nyasango, Matende and Ndhlovu makes up the men’s full marathon team athletes while in the women’s section only Nyahora and Chidzivo qualified.
Nyasango, Matende, Nyahora and Chidzivo are expected to leave the country for London today.
For Nyahora this will be her second major international competition since she decided to compete in the marathon in 2015.
Last year she represented Zimbabwe at the Olympic Games.
She had in the past concentrated on 10km races and the half marathon.
“I have been preparing in South Africa for the past three months and I came back last Wednesday.
“I am looking at running my best time for the marathon. I learnt from the Olympics, I was too nervous then but now I am certain about my training because I also have a coach now, Hendrick Ramaala, from South Africa,” said Nyahora.
Nyahora said engaging a coach to assist will go a long way as she seeks for a better performance at the event compared to last year when she was working alone during her qualification and participation at the Olympics.
“After I ran my first marathon in Vienna without a coach I decided to join him (Ramaala) and his group because my aim was to run a good time this year.
‘’Without a coach or someone behind you there is no way that your dreams can turn into reality. He also wanted to work with me for a long time so I joined him,” said Nyahora.
The limelight will also be on Nyasango who has put together some good performances in the past, coming seventh at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
He was at the Olympics again last year in Brazil. In April he came 14th at the Boston Marathon and indicated he will be targeting a better finish at the World Championships.
National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe director of coaching, talent identification and development Lisimati Phakamile will be in charge of the team. Phakamile said they are hopeful the five athletes will post better times at the meet.
“We are expecting our team to perform very well this time around. We are expecting improved times and standings from the entire team.
“Zimbabwe has been performing well but the last time our runners went to London, Cuthbert was position seventh at the Olympics.
“So we hope that the ground might be a good venue for him to perform well again and also lead his teammates to podium performances,” said Phakamile.
Ndhlovu will meet with the rest of the team in London from his base.
He will also be banking on his Olympic Games experience and he was at the Boston Marathon in April where he managed a top 20th finish while Chidzivo and Matende are competing at this level for the first time.
Online Reporter