Inexperience affected Zim athletes - Phakamile
INEXPERIENCE was probably the biggest undoing for local athletes at the World Athletics Championships, Zimbabwe coach Lisimati Phakamile said.
The country had three representatives at the biennial global showcase in Eugene, Oregon, United States – long-distance runner Isaac Mpofu, sprinter Tinotenda Matiyenga and triple jumper Chengetayi Mapaya.
Phakamile, who is the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ) director for coaching, talent identification and development, watched the trio’s performances in their respective competitions.
Only Mpofu gave a commendable showing after finishing 10th in the men’s marathon.
“The World Championships have been an interesting event for us, to say the least.
“It all started with Isaac Mpofu, our opening athlete, getting onto the road and performing exceptionally well for the country as he broke an eight-year Zimbabwean record formally held by Cuthbert Nyasango,” Phakamile said.
“This was his second appearance at the event after the nightmarish Doha games in which he arrived at midnight amid hot temperatures just before the race.”
He believes inexperience could have negatively affected the two other athletes, especially in the case of Matiyenga, who was making his debut at an event of this magnitude.
Mapaya, who was making his second appearance at the World Championships, was largely affected by technical challenges like adjusting his run-up and attacking and approaching his take-off board.
“It was such a very disappointing end to his (Mapaya) season in which he was close to setting a new national triple jump record and he was ranked sixth in the world.
“It happens in track and field and it happens in sport, you lose opportunities and make mistakes that cost you in the long run.
“While we are disappointed, we are not disheartened as there are lessons to take away from our athletes’ performances.”
He said there was need for coaches to come together to share notes, discuss training techniques and preparation tips for athletes that compete at the world stage.
Mapaya was also brutally honest in his evaluation of the disastrous outing in Eugene.
“It is always a privilege to compete at the World Championships, but my performance was very bad.
“I was just not technically sound, I couldn’t seem to find the board, my mark was off during my run-up, and there were a few things that happened at the track meet that contributed to my dismal performance.
“However, this is sport and every failure provides an opportunity to learn new things and learn more about yourself.
“I intend to take these lessons and use them to make myself stronger and better.”
The 23-year-old was Zimbabwe’s biggest medal hopeful coming into the championships.
He was familiar with the competition venue (Hayward Stadium) and his stellar outdoor season seemed to point to a good outing.
However, a 15,75-metre jump during the qualification stage of the competition saw Mapaya finish 12th and way below the 17,05m qualifying standard for yesterday’s finals.
He made two foul attempts out of a possible three.
It was a similar story for Mapaya’s fellow TCU classmate and roommate, Matiyenga, 23, who also failed to progress beyond the heats in the 200m race last week.