Times Of Swaziland: EYES ON ‘SWAZI BOLT’ TODAY

EYES ON ‘SWAZI BOLT’ TODAY
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Ntokozo Magongo on 04/08/2022 08:20:00


MBABANE – Focus in the ongoing 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games turns to the
country’s fastest man in Sibusiso ‘Swazi Bolt’ Matsenjwa.
The 34-year-old will start his journey this afternoon at 12:54pm (local time)
and he will compete in 200 metres (m). He is also set to compete in the 4x100m
relay tomorrow if member Ayanda Malaza heals from the injury he suffered on
Tuesday in the 100m heats. The other relay team members are Menziwokuhle Msibi
and Benele Dlamini. Sprinter Bongiwe Mahlalela will also compete in her last
event, which is the 200m this morning at 11:25am local time. Mahlalela was on
the track on Tuesday and she ran the 100m where she finished sixth with a time
of 12:05 seconds.
Matsenjwa made the country proud in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games where he broke
two national records in 200m and reached the semi-finals of the competitions. He
was the first liSwati to do so in sprints in such high-profile games. “I’m
feeling good and ready to execute my race according to plan and proceed to
semi-finals set for Friday. The atmosphere is good here in England. I have
adjusted well from all the traveling from America and time zones,” he said.
Matsenjwa started in the United States of America (USA) for the Athletics World
Championships before he joined the team in Birmingham for the Commonwealth. The
Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) sprinter said he would be pleased if he
could clock at least less than 20:80/ 70 seconds as he believed that with that
time he could make it to the next round. He said the target was to reach the
semifinals and then take if form there. Matsenjwa will be facing big guns in
athletics.