Ellina Mhlanga in Douala, Cameroon
TRIPLE jumper Chengetayi Mapaya is upbeat he will rise to the challenge when he competes today at the Confederation of African Athletics Senior Championships.
The goal for him is qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
With most of the hopefuls out of contention for slots at the Games, Zimbabwe is keeping fingers crossed they can get one or two athletes making the grade in the few remaining events they are fielding athletes including the men's triple jump and women's 400m hurdles.
Mapaya is competing at the African Senior Championships for the first time.
"So definitely it's a privilege representing Zimbabwe. I have never competed at the Africa Senior Championships. So I am very excited and blessed to be in this position.
"It's something I have always wanted to do. The last time I competed Africa Championships was the Junior Championships and I won that meet and broke the meet record.
"So hopefully I can do the same thing in the Senior Championships also."
Mapaya is coming out of an injury but is holding his head high ahead of today's event.
He is chasing a qualifying time of 17.22m.
"So, this season I have jumped 16.75. This is after not jumping for over a year.
"I had an injury that I was coming out of...The ultimate goal is to be in Paris next month and I am excited to go there and put on a show.
"I have been asked so many questions, do you feel pressure or anything but I feel like pressure is a privilege and pressure makes diamonds. So, it's a blessing.
"Not a lot of people can be in the position that I am in, so I am excited to go there and just have fun.
"When I have fun, I surprise myself. So, that's what I want to go out and do, just go have fun and shock everyone.
"I am very confident, apparently special just doing it in the motherland. We are not in Zimbabwe but I am in Africa, and I haven't been in Africa since 2019.
"So for me, I am taking it personally, just doing it where I grew up, in Africa.
"So, I am not even worried about the standard. I am just going there and jumping what I can and I know it will come by itself," said Mapaya.
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His personal best is 17.26m, posted in 2022.
Mapaya has a chronic knee injury and it was the same injury that denied him an opportunity to make his debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
"It's a second chance and the first one didn't go well because of injuries.
"But I bounced back from that injury and I made World Champs.
"So, I am always someone who goes down and comes back up. So, it's all about the mindset and I know my mind is very strong.
"So, I have done it, and why not do it again? So, I am very confident, looking up, very excited to just put on a show," said Mapaya.
Ashley Kamangirira is competing in the women's 400m hurdles. The bronze medallist from the African Games in 100m hurdles, is chasing Olympic qualification as well.
The qualifying time for women's 400m hurdles is 54.85 seconds.
Sprinters Ngoni Makusha and Tapiwanashe Makarawu are up for the 200m event today. They will be looking at putting behind the disappointment from the 4x100m relay on Sunday when they missed the opportunity to fight for qualification to the Olympics.
The team included Dickson Kamungeremu and Gerren Muwishi, and they failed to finish the race when dropping the baton in the last leg.
Makarawu has already qualified for the Paris Games in 200m.
Zimbabwe also have the 4x400m relay lined up for today. The team is made up of Dennis Hove, Takudzwa Donald Chiyangwa, Muwishi, and Makusha.
