Mvuyekure eyes memorable debut

Rwanda’s Jean Pierre Mvuyekure has stated his readiness to make a memorable Olympic debut at the London Games in the men’s 42km full marathon race scheduled for Sunday.Mvuyekure ran inside the Rome International Marathon qualifying ‘B’ standard time to qualify for the 2012 Olympic in May. He clocked 2:17:32, which was inside the minimum required 02:18:00 laid down by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF). Mvuyekure last competed in a major championship back in 2004 when he participated in the 10th IAAF World Junior Championship held in Grosetto, Italy. He finished eighth. The SEC Academy Athletics Club athlete trains in Kenya, and he hopes to maintain the same good run of results which saw him qualify for his first Olympics.On Sunday, he comes face to face with the best of the best in the world at the distance, but he is relishing the challenge.He said, “I am really ready for the race. I have had good preparations and hope to run to the best of my ability,” Mvuyekure said yesterday in a telephone interview with Times Sport from London.However, Rwanda’s full marathon champion is cautious of heavy rains which soaked the women’s race last Sunday. Huge storms have already left parts of Britain sumerged, with driving rain, thunder and lightning forcing thousands of Olympic spectators to run for cover and threatening several key events on day nine of the Games. “It is raining heavily these days and that could be a big impediment to some athletes, but I don’t want to use this as an excuse,” noted the 28-year old, who will be seeking to become the first Rwandan to win an Olympic medal.Four years ago, Sammy Wanjiru became the first Kenyan man to ever win an Olympic Marathon title. Mvuyekure faces an uphill task in trying to stop Kenyans, who are aiming to retain that title and pay tribute to the late Wanjiru’s record-setting run in Beijing.NiyonshutiMeanwhile, cyclist Adrien Niyonshuti, who was the first Rwandan athlete to qualify for the London Games, will also compete on Sunday in the mountain bike race.He arrived in London on Monday and headed straight to training on the Mountain Bike venue at Hadleigh Farm in Essex.It may have taken a long time but, at long last, Rwanda has a cyclist, who is good enough to represent the country at the Olympic Games.Niyonshuti, who rides for South African club MTN/Qhubeka, made cycling history when he finished fourth in the pro-elite men’s race of the African Championship at Jonkershoek.In doing so, he will be the first Rwandan mountain biker to compete at the Olympics Games. Already two Rwandan swimmers, Jackson Niyomugabo and Alphonsine Agahozo as well two long distance runners, Robert Kajuga (men’s 10,000m) and Claudette Mukasakindi (women’s full marathon), have bowed out of the Games, leaving the country’s hopes in Mvuyekure and Niyonshuti.

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Mvuyekure eyes memorable debut