Long-jump champion Luvo’s lofty ambition

WORLD and Commonwealth longjump champion and Olympic silver medallist Luvo Manyonga has again set himself the ambitious target of going the entire outdoor season unbeaten.

Also high on this agenda in this campaign‚ which includes the Diamond League series starting in earnest next week Friday in Doha‚ is to improve the outdoor personal best of 8.65m he achieved in Potchefstroom last year.

“My outdoor programme looks hectic, but I am going to take each meet as it comes‚” he said.

“I have more than 14 competitions that I am going to take part in this year‚ which is a lot‚ but I will try to remain focused.

“I am unbeaten in outdoor competitions since last season‚ so I am looking forward to maintaining that and breaking my personal best‚” he said.

Little-known Cuban teenager Juan Miguel Echevarria would be one of his biggest competitors this season.

“This season is going to be hectic and there is a guy from Cuba [Echevarria] who looks to have a lot of potential.

“He is capable of getting close to my personal best and I see him as a close competitor.”

Echevarria stunned Manyonga during the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham last month by winning gold and the South African settling for silver.

During the season‚ Manyonga will have his national teammate Ruswahl Samaai to contend with and he said they had healthy competition and motivated each other.

“He has done very well for himself and the country‚” Manyonga said. – TimesLIVE