The Sunday Mail
SPRINT starlet Michael Songore intends to use this week’s World Junior Athletics Championships in the United States as a stepping stone towards the big dream — a Rio 2016 Olympic medal.
The 17-year-old, who will compete in the 200m and 4 x 100m events, will be one of the country’s five representatives at the IAAF event which begins on Tuesday.
The other athletes are Enlitha Ncube (1500m), Pride Lusinga (400m hurdles, 4 x 100m), Kudakwashe Nyahuma (400m, 4x 100m) and Shingirai Hlanguyo (4 x 100m).
However, it is Songore who carries most of the country’s medal hopes.
Last year, the Peterhouse pupil clocked his fastest 100m time of 10.72 in Donetsk, Ukraine, during the World Youth Championships.
He says he is ready to better that record.
“It’s pretty much the same as the World Youth Championships, though it is going to be more competitive this time around because I am going to be running with older guys.
“But it should be fun as usual. I don’t think there is anything to fear; there will be a little bit of nerves, of course, but I should be fine,” said Songore just before his departure for the US last Thursday.
“The realistic aim is to reach the finals and, of course, scout for scholarships.
“I might not be as fast as the other guys for obvious reasons; I don’t get as much training as they get and all that, but making it to the finals will be a very good start . . . the coaches from that side can help me further on.
“The main aim is the Olympic Games in 2016. I have to work hard and it all starts now. It can’t be done overnight and this is my stepping stone to the next Olympic Games,” he added.
Songore, who has been getting some help from Olympian Brian Dzingai, bemoaned Zimbabwe’s failure to train as a team, but expressed optimism that they will pull through.
“It will definitely have an impact on the 4 x 100 especially; team chemistry is needed and I think it’s something that should be sorted out for the future. At least one or two sessions before we leave would have been ideal.
“It will be difficult to understand each other there, but not impossible, though,” he said.
Athletes have been working in their respective provinces with the assistance of National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe coaches, as the association said they wanted the athletes to balance training with school.
Team Zimbabwe head coach Silas Muringani insists that they are not going to the USA “to make up numbers, but leave a mark as Zimbabwean athletes.”
“It is also an opportunity for these athletes to score their personal best times since they will be competing with some of the best in the world,” he said.
With Songore having jetted out on Thursday, the rest of the team are expected to fly out this weekend.
