UMthembu uvikele isicoco seComrades
UPHINDE waqopha umlando uBongmusa Mthembu eba ngumgijimi wokuqala omnyama ukuvikela isicoco seComrades Marathon. Ngaphezu kwalokho ube ngowokuqala waseNingizimu Afrika ukunqoba isicoco sesithathu, into eyagcina ukwenzeka ngoBruce Fordyce ngo-1988.
Kuchwaze inkundla abalandeli abebemlindele bebemeza bethi “Bulwer, Bulwer”, indawo aqhumuka kuyo, ngesikhathi uMthembu (34), ogijimela i-Arthur Ford, engene eMoses Mabhida Stadium ngo-5:26:34.
UMthembu udle umhlanganiso nyakenye kusukwa eThekwini kuyiwa eMgungundlovu nokube wumlando ngoba ubikade enqobe isicoco kwehliwa noma kukhushukwa. Kulokhu ubesesiphinda okwesibili kwehliwa kusukwa eMphithi.
UJoseph Mphuthi ungene endaweni yesibili kwathi uSteven Way waseGreat Britain walala endaweni yesithathu. UDavid Gatebe obephethe irekhodi uma kwehliwa lika-5:18 :19 alenza ngo2016, uqede endaweni yesishiyagalombili.
Ibanga lomjaho wanonyaka belithe ukululeka cishe ngamamitha awu-900 emuva kokushintshwa kwenkundla okuqedwa kuyo iKingsmead Cricket Stadium kuba yiMabhida yodumo lweNdebe yoMhlaba yango-2010.
“Ngijabule kakhulu uhlelo lwami nomqeqeshi lusebenzile. Bengingenaso isiqiniseko sokuthi ngizofika ngisho ePinetown kodwa isipiliyoni yisona esingisebenzele. Ngigcine umjaho ngiwenze owami yize ubushesha. UMarco Mambo ubenza izinto ezixakile kanti noDavid Gatebe uyinsizwa enejubane. Uma enyakaza bekumele ngibe seduze naye,” kusho Mthembu.
Uthe kunezimo ezimphazamisile ngesikhathi enza amalungiselelo, okuyizona ezenze wangabaza ukuthi angawuqeda. Kodwa akazange acacise ngalokho.
Noma esebuzwa ukuthi yiziphi izingqinamba ahlangabezane nazo akazange aziveze.
Ushilo ukuthi ngesikhathi eqala amalungiselelo ngoDisemba inhloso bekuwunqoba umjaho, ngaphambi kokuthi aphazamiseke. Ebuzwa ukuthi uzokujabulela kanjani ukuba umpetha uthe: “Ngiyobhiyoza eminyakeni emihlanu ezayo uma sengithatha umhlalaphansi. Kusasa lokhu okusayo ngizobe sengiqala ukulungiselela umjaho wangonyaka ozayo.”
Uthe elinye lamaqhinga alisebenzisile ukushaya izimbangi wukuzinkunkisa amanzi.
Ubebonakala ethatha amanzi ewanikeza ozakwabo ekade egijimisana nabo bese yena ezithela ngawo.
“Uma usigijime ibanga elide amanzi awakusizi ngalutho. Ngibonile ukuthi bona bawathatha bawaphuze, ngase ngibadlulisela wona njalo. Mina ngibe ngizithela ngawo emzimbeni,” kusho uMthembu.
UMthembu wanqoba umjaho wakhe wokuqala ngo-2014 kwehliwa. Ubevele engomunye wabathwelwe ngeqoma.
Uqale ukuvula igebe sekusePinetown kade ehambisana noDavid Mothibi noDavid Gatebe. Ngaleso sikhathi bese begijime u-4:14. Akabange esabheka emuva wabahadulisa njalo waze wayoyigqashula intambo.
Abaphume phambili kwabesilisa: Bongmusa Mthembu (5:26:34) Joseph Mphuthi (5:35:09) Steven Way (5:35:27)