Mike van Niekerk
Umgibeli wamabhayisikili owine enye yezindondo zegolide zokuqala zeMidlalo yama-Olimpiki yangowezi-2020 ngoMgqibelo uqale nje ukugibela ibhayisikili esemncane ngesikhathi ubaba wakhe ethola ibhayisikili eliphukile enqwabeni yezinsimbi ezilahliwe.
URichard Carapaz, okuwukuphela kwengane yabalimi abampofu, wengeze izindondo ezimbili kuphela ezanqotshwa ngaphambilini isizwe esincane saseNingizimu Melika i-Ecuador cishe eminyakeni eyikhulu yokubamba iqhaza kule Midlalo.
Lo mdlali oneminyaka engama-28 ubudala ubesevele enze abazali bakhe baziqhenya ngokunqoba i-Tour of Italy ngowezi-2019 nokuqeda endaweni yesithathu e-Tour de France ngempelasonto edlule. Kodwa ubaba wakhe ubejabule ngokweqile ngomdlalo wakhe wakamuva.
“Ngingumuntu oziqhenya kakhulu empilweni,” kusho u-Antonio Carapaz etshela iphephandaba lendawo elivela emaphandleni amancane eduze nomngcele we-Colombia, lapho uRichard akhulela khona.
Uthe indodana yakhe ibihlala isebenza kanzima, ivuka zonke izinsuku ngo-5 ekuseni izosenga izinkomo ngaphambi kwesikole. Ngemuva kwesikole wayephakela izinkukhu nezingulube bese ethola isikhathi sokuziqeqesha ngebhayisikili ayelitakule enqwabeni yezinsimbi.
NgoLwesihlanu ebusuku yena nomkakhe bebehleli ndawonye kwaze kwasa ekhishini labo bebuka umjaho we-Olympic Men’s Road Race. “Anginawo amagama okuchaza injabulo yami,” kusho u-Antonio Carapaz. “Sangana futhi samemeza sakhala injabulo”.
Umama kaRichard, u-Ana Montenegro uthe ubelungiselela ukwamukela abalandeli abebeqinisekile ukuvakashela ikhaya labo: “Ngilungisa ummbila, ubhontshisi kanye nomhluzi wenkukhu, ngizolinda abantu abazobungaza,” esho.
UNicholas Dlamini, ongomunye wabathathu baseNingizimu Afrika abangenele lo mjaho wezemigwaqo, udume amahora ambalwa kubanonakude emhlabeni jikelele ngokungena endaweni encane ehlukanisayo ibanga elingaphezulu kuka-100km ngaphambi kokubanjwa yinqwaba yabaqhudelani abahamba phambili.