Salute Our Supermen

The Herald

By Collin Matiza

13 August 2012

A hero comes along. . . Cuthbert Nyasango runs in the London Olympic Games marathon where he distinguished himself with a top 10 finish yesterday

Magical.

Absolutely magical!

This is exactly what two top Zimbabwean long-distance runners, Cuthbert Nyasango and Wirimai Juwawo, produced when they brilliantly fought their way to finish in the Top 20 of the tough men’s marathon event during the last day of the 2012 London Olympic Games here yesterday.

The first Zimbabwean home in this race was Nyasango, who surprised all and sundry here by finishing a credible seventh, in a personal best time of 2 hours 12 minutes 08 seconds.

Nyasango wrote himself a piece of history yesterday as he became the first Zimbabwean road runner, male or female, to finish way inside the Top 10 in the history of the Olympics.

He even put into the shade Tendai Chimusasa’s outstanding performance at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, where he finished ninth in the men’s marathon event.

And not to be outdone by Nyasango yesterday, was his fellow countryman Juwawo who also performed extremely well to finish in 15th place in 2 hours 14 minutes 09 seconds.

This was the Zvishavane-based athlete’s season’s best.

And both Zimbabwean runners could not contain themselves after racing themselves into international recognition by finishing in the Top 20 in yesterday’s men’s marathon, which attracted a world-class and strong field of 105 runners.

Nyasango, was in fact, at loss of words after producing what is easily his best performance at the world stage in his road running career.

“I really don’t know what to say . . . I’m overwhelmed,” Nyasango said before he broke into tears of joy soon after the race.

Nyasango later composed himself and went on to say: “The race was very tough but I’m happy that I reached my goal of finishing in the Top 10.

“I’m really overwhelmed and over the moon . . . I just can’t believe that I’ve achieved this.”

His compatriot Juwawo was equally happy although he said he was also aiming to finish in the Top 10 but his hopes of achieving this were hampered by some leg problems he faced towards the end of the race.

“Yeah, the race was fine but very tough. We raced under some very tough conditions and from the 40km mark, just two kilometres away from home, my calfs tightened up and I couldn’t run well for about 1,5km.

“I was struggling a bit and I think about four runners just went past me at this stage but I soldiered on and managed to reach home.

“But I’m happy that I finished in the Top 20 although my wish was to finish among the Top 10 but it’s fine to finish in the Top 20,” Juwawo said.

And there was joy all over in Team Zimbabwe’s camp after this race as the brilliant performances of Nyasango and Juwawo brought some relief in the team which failed to medal during the 16-day 2012 London Olympic Games.

Nyasango and Juwawo were met at the finish line by the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart, the Team Zimbabwe’s chef de mission at the London Games Busi Chindove, Press Attache Imelda Shoko and medic Nick Munyonga.

Even the former Zimbabwe Olympic Committee chief executive, Robert Musauki, who is now the Technical Director of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, was there to give Nyasango and Juwawo a pat on the back.

“I think this is a historic achievement for our country. We’ve never had an athlete who finished well inside in the Top 10 in a marathon event at the Olympics and Cuthbert Nyasango has done it.

“In fact, both guys did extremely well and I’m really happy for them . . . they’ve done us proud,” Chindove said.

Coltart was equally overjoyed.

“This is really something else. These guys have managed to finish in the Top 20 and this is good for us because this means that at these Games we have two sixth place finishes in swimming and then this Top 20 finish in the men’s marathon.

“This is really good for sport in Zimbabwe . . . I’m extremely happy for both of them,” Coltart said before he went to congratulate Nyasango and Juwawo for their brilliant performance yesterday.

Mutsauki weighed in and said: “Speaking in my personal capacity as a Zimbabwean, I think this is an impressive performance by both runners because this race was raced under very tough conditions.

“Their brilliant performance confirms the potential that we (Zimbabwe) have in road running.

“It’s also an indication that they prepared well for this event and their decision to train at home, preparing for this tough race, has paid some dividends.”

The gold medal in yesterday’s men’s marathon at the London 2012 Olympic Games went to Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich who romped home in 2:08:01. Stephen Kiprotich shot to the front with six kilometres remaining to win the 42.2km event comfortably. It was his country’s first medal of the Games and came in the final event of the athletics programme.

Twice world gold medalist Abel Kirui of Kenya was second in 2:08:27, coming home ahead of his fellow countryman and 2012 London Marathon champion Wilson Kipsang, who clocked 2:09:37.

In yesterday’s race, Kipsang made an early break, splitting the field and passing through the halfway stage in 63 minutes and 15 seconds. He was gradually reeled in and joined by Kiprotich and and Kirui by the 30km point in a three-man race for gold.

Stephen Kiprotich was just a happy man after bagging a gold medal for his country.

“I can say I am very happy to win a medal for my country. I love my people. Uganda are very happy because we haven’t won a medal in marathon races (before).

On the race itself, he said: “The pace was too fast and I knew I could not ruan away from them so I just had to keep up with them (the Kenyan runners, Wilson Kipsang and Abel Kirui). I tried to settle and then I had to break away because I wanted to win this medal.”

The race, past some of London’s most notable landmarks, started and finished in The Mall near Buckingham Palace and it comprised one short and three longer circuits through the heart of the British capital.