The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
ALL eyes will be trained on the United States-based trio of Chengetayi Mapaya, Tino Matiyenga and Kundai Maguranyanga when they seek to qualify for the Olympics at the NCAA National Championships this weekend.
The Texas Christian University students will be looking to make the grade at the championships, which began on Wednesday and run until Saturday.
Of particular interest will be triple-jumper Mapaya, who will be in action on Friday, as he has vowed to secure a ticket to the global sports showcase in Japan.
He also knows that he is racing against time to fight for Olympic qualification.
He remains one of the last few hopefuls of what looks to be a very small band of Zimbabwean athletes at the Tokyo Games after many failed to make the cut.
“I am aware that the deadline (June 29) is fast approaching, but I am very chilled about it all,” he said.
“Come Friday, watch me fly.
“I am ready to compete and will definitely make the grade.”
The former St George’s College student has been on a tear since the NCAA season began, breaking the EB Cushing Stadium record at the Texas A&M Invitational, including a 23-year-old Zimbabwean record at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
The Texas A&M Invitational record (16,78m) came in April, and formerly belonged to Will Clays, while his 16,95m jump saw him eclipse Ndabazihle Mdhlongwa’s long-standing Zimbabwean indoor triple jump record a month earlier.
Now, all the focus turns to the outdoor nationals, and, more importantly, the Olympics in which 17,14m has been set as the qualification mark.
“We arrived in Eugene Oregon on Sunday and these competitions run from June 9 to June 12,” said the 22-year-old.
“It’s the highest and most prestigious competition we have here, which is all the stimuli I need to push my limits.
“I want to defend my national outdoor title and also qualify for the Olympics.”
