Makusha, Mapaya eye Olympics
CHENGETAYI MAPAYA harbours no ill feelings towards Zimbabwean compatriot Ngoni Makusha or any of the other recipients of the universality card for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Triple jumper Mapaya pulled his hamstring while competing at the 2021 NCAA National Championships at the University of Oregon, Eugene, in the United States.
The injury effectively ruled him out of the qualification process for the Covid-19-delayed Tokyo Games, but, more importantly, took him off contention for the wildcard entries, which were subsequently given to Makusha, swimmers Donata Katai and Peter Wetzlar, rower Peter Purcell-Gilpin and golfer Scott Vincent.
Then a Texas Christian University (TCU) senior, Mapaya was forced to watch the Games from the sidelines.
“I narrowly missed out on the qualification mark for the Tokyo Games at the nationals but would have qualified through my world rankings.
“Unfortunately, that injury was very bad and put me on the shelf for weeks,” he said.
“Injuries do come here and there, it’s all just part of the game.
“What matters most is how one bounces back from those injuries and setbacks, and that hamstring injury did not worry me much.
“I am an Olympic-calibre athlete and know what I am capable of when not injured.” He now wants to concentrate on making the cut for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
“My goal now is to make the grade again for the Paris Games later this year and I know that it will happen this time around.” He has since graduated from TCU but has endured a rocky start to his professional career.
“I am still trying to adjust to being a professional athlete because I am yet to compete consistently since I got injured after my first competition.
“I went to an American Track league meet, won it and then had to forgo everything else because of injury.
“Since then, it has been tough because one needs a lot of backing to compete consistently at the highest level.
“I do have people backing but I will always need more financial help.”
Mapaya was then forced to get a job to support himself as he went through the rehabilitation process. However, he is now fit again and ready to chase his Olympic dream.
He expects to return to the track as early as March. He has already jumped 17,22metres, which is the qualification standard for the men’s triple jump, and feels confident of making it to Paris. Like Mapaya, Makusha also had to overcome injury woes.
Makusha now appears to be in the shape of his life, with the former 200m champion having just emerged from a demanding 2023 season.
“I had a very busy 2023 season as I was based in Europe; the circuit there is very loaded,” he said.
“There can be as many as five competitions in a week, and it’s just a matter of cherry-picking the ones that fit your goals and pocket.
“There were so many lessons to take from my time in Europe, as most were high-calibre events and they all helped me deal with my pacing, nerves and preparations.”
Makusha has another loaded schedule over the next couple of months, which starts today when he takes part in a local meet.
“On January 20 and 28, he is expected to compete in Pretoria, South Africa, after which he hopes to take part at the African Games in Ghana in March and then travel to France in April.
“He has not ruled out the World Relay Championship in the Bahamas in May and the African Senior Athletics Championships scheduled for Cameroon later in the year.
The goal will be to make the Olympic standard times, which are 10 seconds and 20.16s for the 100m and 200m races, respectively.
“The last Olympic Games were an eyeopener for me and I did enjoy the experience,” added Makusha.
“The Games were largely affected by the pandemic and it will be interesting to experience them all again, but with spectators this time.
“The goal for now is to do my best and hopefully make the grade for the Games.
“I have put in the work, I am fit and injury-free but, most importantly, feeling very confident.”