Last throw of the dice for Zim in Rio

Sport
LONG-DISTANCE runners Cuthbert Nyasango, Wirimayi Juwao and Pardon Ndhlovu will draw the curtain on what has been a disappointing campaign for Zimbabwe at the Olympic Games when they line up in the men’s marathon in Rio de Janeiro today.

LONG-DISTANCE runners Cuthbert Nyasango, Wirimayi Juwao and Pardon Ndhlovu will draw the curtain on what has been a disappointing campaign for Zimbabwe at the Olympic Games when they line up in the men’s marathon in Rio de Janeiro today.

BY SPORTS REPORTER

Zimbabwe, who last won medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 look set to complete the ongoing Rio Games without a medal as the country’s athletes struggled to get podium finishes at the world’s biggest sporting showcase.

However, the country’s leading male marathon runners have one final opportunity to break the jinx although they face an uphill task against the East African runners, particularly from Kenya and Ethiopia.

Weather conditions could also play a big part in determining who will take the title with temperatures expected to rise to as high as 25°C while humidity is likely to be about 65-70%.

While the odds might be heavily staked against them, the duo of Nyasango and Juwawo will nevertheless be quietly confident after putting up an incredible performance at the 2012 London Olympic Games where they finished seventh and 15th respectively.

US-based Ndhlovu, who will be making his debut in Rio might be the least experienced of the Zimbabwe trio but will also be eager to prove that he belongs amongst the big boys after some solid performances in the US in recent years.

The 42,195 km race men’s Olympic marathon race will start and finish at the Sambodromo — the purpose built parade facility for carnival in Rio.

The race immediately heads towards Centro, the financial heart of the city, before running past the airport and along the shoreline to Botafogo Beach. A few laps follow, before the runners head back to Centro and home to the finish line at the Sambodromo.

Uganda’s Stephen Kiprotich will head into the race as the defending Olympic champion but faces a tough task to successfully retain his title against some of the world’s top runners.

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge is the overwhelming favourite for the coveted title. He has been the most dominant marathon runner in the world since the start of 2014 and now has five consecutive wins in top-class races to his name, all in fast times including his world-leading 2:03:05 that he ran to win in London in April.