Ithemba ngoWayde enqoba owokozilolongela i-Olympics
UPeet van Zyl oyi-ejenti kampetha womhlaba ebangeni lamamitha angama-400 uWayde van Niekerk, ukuqinisekisile ukuthi lo msubathi uzogijima kulesi sigaba emqhudelwaneni we-Olympics azokuba seJapan ngoNtulikazi.
UVan Zyl ukuqinisekise lokho emva kokuthi uVan Niekerk enqobe ebangeni lamamitha angama-200 ku-ASA Athletics Invitation Meet ebingoLwesibili kusihlwa.
Lo mqhudelwano ububanjelwe eRuimsing Athletics Stadium eRoodeport, eGoli.
“Indlela agijime ngayo ngoLwesibili isinike ithemba lokuthi usesondele emgqigqweni aziwa ngawo. Simgijimisa ama-200m ngoba senzela ijubane. Maduze sizohlangana nomqeqeshi wakhe uLance Brauman ukuthola uhlu lwemijaho azozilungiselela ngayo i-Olympics,” kusho uVan Zyl.
UVan Niekerk enqoba lo mqhudelwano ubonge umqeqeshi wakhe omdala, uTannie Ans Botha.
Le nyamazane enguVan Niekerk ishaye intambo ngesikhathi esiwu-20.10 yehlula ingqwele yebanga le-100m u-Akani Simbine ogcine ephume isibili ngesikhathi esiwu-20.29.
UVan Niekerk owaphula irekhodi lo mhlaba ku-400m, ngesikhathi esiwu-43.03 kuma-Olympic Games edlule ngaphansi kuka-Ans uthe: “Ngiyakujabulela ukuba ngaphansi kwethimba elisha labaqeqeshi. Nokho angisoze ngalukhohlwa uhambo lwami no-Ans, ngifunde lukhulu kuyena. Ngabe kangikho kuleli zinga ukube ubengekho eduze kwami. Ngizoqhubeka nokumjabulisa.”
Ngasekuqaleni kwalo nyaka, uVan Niekerk ushiye lo mqeqeshi abesehlale naye iminyaka wajoyina uBrauman wase-USA.
UVan Niekerk unqoba lo mqhudelwano nje ubesehlale izinyanga ezili-17 engagijimi ngenxa yokulimala akuthola ngoMfumfu wangonyaka wezi-2017 edlala owobungani webhola lo mbhoxo.
Wayegcine ukubonakala eqhudelana kumaWorld Championship ayeseLondon maphakathi nonyaka wezi-2017.
Ubuyele ensimini ngoNhlolanja wezi-2019, maqede wanqoba u-400m ngesikhathi esiwu-47.28 emqhudelwaneni owawuseFree State. NgoNhlaba wanyakenye khona eFree State, wenze esiwu-20.31 ku-200m nesiwu-10.10 ku-100m.
Le nyamazane eveze ukuthi izobuyela maduze e-USA ithe ukulimala nokuhlasela kokhuvethe kuyihlukumeze kakhulu.
Nokho uthe kuyamjabulisa ukuthi uyisibonelo kubantu bakuleli nasemhlabeni jikelele ngokungadikibali.
Uveze ukuthi selokhu abuya ekulimaleni ubeqala ukujima ngokuphelele inyanga nohhafu.
Mayelana nokuthi usekulungele yini ukubuyela ku-Olympics azoba kulo nyaka eTokyo, eJapan, uthe: “Angiqale ngiveze injabulo engibe nayo ngokuhlula izingqwele ezinjengoSimbine. Okwamanje ngizothatha umjaho ngamunye, kangifuni ukuxhamazela, ngumqeqeshi wami ozongitshela uma sengiqatha ngokwanele. Ku-Olympics ngizogijima u-400m, nakuba kunjalo ngeke ikusasa ulazi, kuhle ukuhlala uzimisele.”
Nakuba ekhale ngaphansi uSimbine ongumpetha we-100m kumaCommonwealth Games, uthe kusukela ngonyaka odlule iyamjabulisa indlela agijima ngayo.
“Kuhlale kunokuqhudelana okuhle ukugijima eceleni kukaVan Neikerk. Engikubheke ngabovu manje ama-ASA Championships azoba emasontweni amabili azayo. Abantu abangelulekayo bahlakaniphile, ngethemba ukuthi ngizoqhubeka nokwenza kahle.”
UMengameli we-ASA uMnu u-Aleck Skhosana uthe imjabulise kakhulu indlela abasubathi abenze kahle ngayo yize sekunesikhathi bagcina ukusubatha.
Uthe uyamethemba kakhulu uVan Niekerk ukuthi angenza kahle ku-Olympics.
Kuzo ezithinta ezokusubatha, esifundazweni iKwaZulu-Natal amehlo azobe ethe njo eCoastlands Hotel, eThekwini lapho kuzobe kukhethwa umholi omusha weKZN Athletics (KZNA), lokho kwenzeka emva kokumiswa kwebhodi ebeliholwa uSello Mokoena.
Kwababanga lesi sikhundla nguNks u-Ayanda Mngadi, uMnu uKhulezweni Buthelezi, uMnu uSteve Mkasi noMnu uPatric Hlongwane.
Bonke laba bathembisa ukuletha izinguquko uma bengathola ithuba lokuhola leli bhodi.
