The Sunday Mail
Tariro Charandura
ACE Zimbabwean marathon runner Cuthbert Nyasango fears this might be the beginning of the end.
A serious knee injury just 6km into the IAAF World Championships marathon in London last weekend could mean the 35-year-old will not run another mile.
The national 41km record holder is undergoing specialist treatment in the United Kingdom.
Nyasango, who placed seventh at the 2012 Olympics, was one of Zimbabwe’s brightest medal prospects at the World Championships.
But 6km into the race, the Zimbabwean twisted his knee and fears are that this injury could signal the end of his career.
A distraught Nyasango told The Sunday Mail Sport that he tried to run through the pain barrier, but it got worse with each stride.
“I twisted my knee when I had run about 6km, I struggled another 6km, but the pain was unbearable, so I stopped and sat down waiting for the ambulance,” he said in an interview from London.
“By the time the ambulance arrived, I could hardly stand or walk on my own. I immediately realised that something was terribly wrong with my knee, but lucky enough I was rushed to the hospital and I’m still under treatment.”
Nyasango was confident in the build up to the race.
“Representing your nation makes one proud ,so I had prepared well for the race, I had worked hard and was looking to forward to a good show. Age is not on my side and the plan was to better the national record at the IAAF championships, but unfortunately I was unable to do so,” he had said.
While doctors are yet to determine the full extent of the injury, Nyasango fears for the worst.
“I feel I still have some unfinished business as a marathon runner, but if the treatment does not work, then it means this will be the end of the road for me. The doctors said that I have to wait for at least six months or more before I start my normal training or run long distances, but it’s difficult because I’m used to being on the road doing what I know best.”
Nyasango rose to national prominence after breaking Tendai Chimusasa’s 16-year record of 2:10:00 at the Volkswagen Prague marathon in 2012.
Nyasango stopped the clock at 2:09:08 — but the chances of him bettering that now hinge on his knee.
