Juwawo makes Olympics cut MEN FROM AFRICA . . . Wirimai Juwawo of Zimbabwe (right) poses at the podium with gold medallist Mariko Kipchumba of Kenya (centre) and silver medallist Berhanu Tolcha of Ethiopia during the medal ceremony for the 2015 Beijing Hyundai Beijing Marathon at Beijing Olympic Park in Beijing, China, on Sunday. — CFP
MEN FROM AFRICA . . . Wirimai Juwawo of Zimbabwe (right) poses at the podium with gold medallist Mariko Kipchumba of Kenya (centre) and silver medallist Berhanu Tolcha of Ethiopia during the medal ceremony for the 2015 Beijing Hyundai Beijing Marathon at Beijing Olympic Park in Beijing, China, on Sunday. — CFP

MEN FROM AFRICA . . . Wirimai Juwawo of Zimbabwe (right) poses at the podium with gold medallist Mariko Kipchumba of Kenya (centre) and silver medallist Berhanu Tolcha of Ethiopia during the medal ceremony for the 2015 Beijing Hyundai Beijing Marathon at Beijing Olympic Park in Beijing, China, on Sunday. — CFP

Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
LONG-DISTANCE runner Wirimai Juwawo believes he will have enough time to prepare for next year’s Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil after making the cut following a sterling performance last weekend in Beijing, China.

Juwawo came third in the Beijing marathon in 2 hours 14 minutes 25 seconds, qualifying for Rio de Janeiro and it will be his second appearance at the Olympic Games after representing Zimbabwe in London in 2012 where he finished on position 15.

The Beijing marathon was won by 41-year-old Kenyan veteran Mariko Kipchumba who clocked 2 hours 11 minutes on Sunday, becoming the first non-Ethiopian athlete to win the event since 2011.

Berhanu Tolcha from Ethiopia came in second place in 2:11:37, followed by Juwawo, who finished the 42.195km course in 2:14:25.

Juwawo said having qualified for the 2012 London Games with just two months before the event, he is optimistic of a better performance when he competes in Rio de Janeiro next year.

“In 2012, I qualified with only two months to go before the Games. This time I have more time to prepare and it will help me improve my time . . . There is no pressure because you know qualifying with only two months to go meant there was no time to rest, you are coming from a race and you have to prepare for another one.

“So for next year maybe I will run just one marathon and do some half-marathon races just to maintain shape and confidence of competing (at the Rio Games),” said Juwawo.

Juwawo was the only Zimbabwean athlete who competed at the Beijing marathon and entered the race hoping to meet the qualification time for next year’s Rio Games, but it was not an easy journey for him after losing his brother with just a few weeks to go before the event in China.

And he admits he had lost hope, but had no option to go to Beijing having already put everything in place for his participation including buying the air tickets.

“I was the only Zimbabwean there and the competition was too high. I was the underdog on the start list because I had a time of 2 hours 12 minutes, which is my personal best, but there was a guy with 2 hours 4 minutes and was expected to win the race. Then there were some guys with 2 hours 10 minutes, about 10 of them.

“And looking at my time, it was difficult for me to some extent because I had also lost my brother three weeks before the race, so I just went there because the tickets had already been bought. I was just going there to participate, but not aiming for anything anymore and it was difficult, but by God’s grace it went well.

“Qualifying for the (2016) Olympic Games was my main aim this year because I was expecting to compete at the Games since I was on the short-list of athletes expected to qualify. So it brought some peace to my mind and I was relieved of pressure. I am happy I will be going back to the Olympics next year,” said Juwawo.

Juwawo said he might compete in another race before the end of the year and said he is confident his fellow Olympian Cuthbert Nyasango will qualify for the Rio Games as well. Nyasango came seventh in 2012.

“There are some upcoming races, but I am not sure yet what I will do since things have not been good in the past. But I have to start planning for my races to see if I can run maybe one more race before the end of the year. For my preparations for the Olympic Games I am waiting for my good friend Cuthbert Nyasango, we work together, so I am waiting for him to qualify and see if we can go for high altitude training because we want to improve our times from 2012.

“I am definitely confident he will qualify,” said Juwawo.

Juwawo joins swimmer Kirsty Coventry who qualified for the Rio Games in the 100m backstroke in August during the FINA World Swimming Championships in Russia.

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