adminGames when the continent’s biggest sporting showcase takes place in Maputo, Mozambique, early next month.
The 10th All-Africa Games are set to run from September 3 to 18 in Maputo and Mvumvure was recently named in a strong 19-member athletics team that will represent the country at the Games.
In fact, Mvumvure is among six overseas-based Zimbabwean track and field stars who were picked for next month’s All-Africa Games in Maputo.
The others are Ngonidzashe Makusha, Brian Dzingai, Nelton Ndebele, Letiwe Mharakurwa and Namatirayi Mavugara.
In Maputo, Mvumvure is set to make his second straight appearance at the All-Africa Games after having made his debut at the continental sporting showcase in Algiers, Algeria, four years ago.
In Algiers, Mvumvure had a disappointing outing as he finished sixth in the men’s 200m final and then third in the 4x100m relay.
But Mvumvure, who is on an athletics scholarship at Louisiana State University in the United States has vowed to return to this year’s All-Africa Games with a vengeance.
Speaking to The Herald this week from his base in the United States, Mvumvure, who has just recovered from a hamstring injury sustained in May, said he was hit by stage fright during his debut appearance at the All-Africa Games in Algiers and this contributed to his poor performance there.
But he reckons that he is now “smarter, stronger and faster”, and has vowed to put up a much more polished show at the Maputo Games.
In Maputo, Mvumvure has been pencilled in to represent Zimbabwe in the men’s 100m, 200m events and the 4x100m relay.
“I’m looking forward to the Games.
“I had had a critical hamstring injury in May but I took everything slowly as far as doing rehab and treatment is concerned.
“I’m fit now and ready to run fast and fight for a medal in any race I will take part in (in Maputo). At the last All-Africa Games in Algeria, I finished sixth in the 200m final and third in the 4x100m relay.
“At that time I was really young and didn’t really understand the magnitude of the All-Africa Games but now I’m smarter, stronger and faster and hopefully will put a (good) show in Mozambique,” Mvumvure said.
But the 23-year-old sprinter is facing a “small problem” ahead of the Maputo Games.
He indicated that his next school term at Louisiana State University where he is now a senior starts this Monday and he has to find a way to balance school commitments and competing at the All-Africa Games.
“However, I’m still working with my professors at school in trying to figure out how I’m going to balance school and competing at the All-Africa because school starts on August 22 over here and the Games will be held from September 3 to 18.
“So, hopefully I’ll get everything resolved by then,” Mvumvure said.
Mvumvure, who once boldly declared that he would like to be the first man on Earth to run 100 metres in less than nine seconds, has been placed among the medal prospects for Zimbabwe at the Maputo Games.
In fact, Mvumvure is no stranger to the environment in Maputo.
The 23-year-old sprinter, nicknamed “The Bullet”, first knocked on the door of international recognition in track and field events when he traveled to Maputo in 2004 for the Southern Region Championships as a mere 16-year-old.
A product of Batanai School in Zimbabwe’s Midlands Province, Mvumvure later found his way at Harare’s Churchill Boys High School in 2005 and immediately started to break (junior) records in the 100m and 200 metres events, scooping three gold medals at the annual National Youth Games in Mutare in the process. At that meet in Mutare, he took gold in the 100m in 10,7 seconds and ran the 200m in 22 seconds to set new records in the respective events.
Courtesy of his achievements, Mvumvure was named the national Under-18 100m and 200m champion and was included in the Zimbabwe Under-18 team that travelled to South Africa for regional junior meet.
“The Bullet” was at it again when he broke the national Under-20 record as he went past the 100m mark in 10,47 seconds to become the fastest 100m runner amongst all the Zimbabwean schoolboys.
He also proved his mettle at another track and field meet at Peterhouse when he ran home in 10,3s and 20,6 seconds in the 100m and 200m events respectively.
But Mvumvure went further than conquering Zimbabwe as he also held the Southern Africa regional championship 100m record of 10,51 seconds.
At those Games held in Namibia in 2006, he also added three more medals to his 100m gold when he got two silvers in 4x100m and 4x400m relays and a bronze in the 200m event.
Mvumvure was later included in the Zimbabwe team for the World Junior Championships in Beijing, China, and from there he came back home with more than a gold medal. He returned with a dream four-year athletics scholarship at Louisiana State University in the United States.
He won the scholarship through the World Wide Scholarship scheme which has taken several young Zimbabwean athletes for sports scholarships in the United States in the past five years or so.
Before moving to LSU, Mvumvure represented Zimbabwe at the Africa Junior Championships in Burkina Faso in mid-2007 where he clinched two gold medals in the 100m and 200m events.
The then World Wide Scholarship athlete came first in the 100 and 200m races, beating the highly-rated Khalid Idriss of Morocco in both events.
In the 100m event, he won in 10.51 seconds, equaling his best time, which was set at the regional Southern Africa Championships in Namibia the previous year.
He completed a double in Burkina Faso by winning the 200m title in emphatic style, finishing in 21,03 seconds to fittingly become the new African Junior Champion in the 100 and 200m events.
Mvumvure then moved to LSU in January 2008 four his four-year athletics scholarship but his best or most memorable stay there came during this 2011 season in which he set several personal records.
Now a senior at LSU, Mvumvure won multiple championships at this year’s prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia towards the end of April.
He won the men’s 100m (10,33 seconds) in the finals – the second Tiger to win the Penn Relays 100m dash championship in meet history – and anchored top-10 all-time Penn Relay finishes in the 4x100m relay (for a title) and the 4x400m relay.
Smashing results have dotted his outdoor season virtually from the start.
He set personal records in both the 100m dash (10,23) and 200m-dash (20,67) – happening on the first time he entered those events this season.
That was a tremendous start to a season he hopes would be redemption from a sub-par 2010 season.
Online Reporter