Menzi Magubane
UWayde van Niekerk ophethe amarekhodi omhlaba uqedele uhambo lwakhe lokuqala ezungeza umzila wase-Tokyo emzamweni wakhe wokuvikela isicoco se-Olympic asinqoba ngendlela ebabazekayo e-Rio eminyakeni emihlanu eyedlule.
Ngosuku olwalushisa ngokucindezela enhlokodolobha yase-Japan, uVan Niekerk wafinyelela kulayini ngokunethezeka, waqeda isithathu ukuthola indawo kuma-semi final ngesikhathi sika-45.25 – okuyisikhathi se-12 esisheshayo sosuku.
“Ngeke ngisho ukuthi bekunzima. Ngiphume ngiqinile impela, ngazizwa ngikhululeke impela, ngacisha kancane maduzane kodwa ngawenza umsebenzi,” kusho uVan Niekerk.
Lo msubathi oneminyaka engama-29 ubenenkinga yokwakheka kwale midlalo ngokuzilolonga okuncane kakhulu njengoba ebuya ekulimaleni kwedolo ngowezi-2017 okwamenza wahlala iminyaka eminingi.
“Umzimba uzizwa ukahle, unethemba. Ngizizwa ngijabule futhi ngikhululekile ngendlela izinto ezibukeka ngayo okwamanje. Iphupho bekungukuba kwababili abaphezulu futhi kusobala ukuthi ngisindwe izinyawo kancane kodwa ngisekhona kuma-semi final futhi kunomsebenzi odinga ukwenziwa kusasa.
“Angizange ngicindezele kanzima ngalesi sikhathi futhi ngakwazi ukudlula ngakho lokho kusho ukuthi ngisalelwe okuncane, kodwa sizokuthatha kancane kancane.”
Ebuzwa ngokushisa, okwakunabadlali abaningi bezemidlalo abagqoke amavesti eqhwa, uVan Niekerk uthe: “Yizo zonke izimo okumele sibhekane nazo. Akufani nokuthi ukushisa kusendleleni yami kuphela ngakho sonke simatasa sibhekene nezinselelo ezifanayo. Kimi ngizizwa sengathi kulungile. Ngiyakuthanda ukushisa. Kuphumuza umzimba wami kancane, ngakho-ke ngiwuthatha ngandlela-thile.”
Umdlali wakuleli uzongena kowandulela owamanqamu ngoMsombuluko bese kuthi owamanqamu ohlelelwe ukuba ngoLwesine.
Umthombo wesithombe @ eyewitnesnews