USteyn uyayiziba eyethuba lerekhodi elisha leComrades
Gerda Steyn GERDA Steyn
Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers
OYINGQWELE yeComrades Marathon kwabesifazane, uGerda Steyn, akayifakile ekhanda eyokwephula elinye irekhodi kulo mjaho asewunqobe amahlandla amathathu njengoba ethwelwe ngeqomba kulo mjaho ozoba ngeSonto.
IComrades yebanga lika-89.98km yakulo nyaka izogijinywa kwehlikwa kusukwa eMgungundlovu kubhekwe eThekwini.
USteyn (35) uwaphethe womabili amarekhodi abesifazane kwiComrades, okungelokwenyuka lika-5:49:46, nelokwehla lika-5:44:54 aliqophe ngo-2023.
“Angibhekile ukuzogijimela ukwephula amarekhodi kodwa ngizogijimela ukunqoba okuyinto engihlale ngizibophezele ngayo emijahweni eminingi engisuke ngibambe iqhaza kuyona, okubalwa nawo lo weComrades engizowugijima ngeSonto.
"Ngizimisele ngokuphinda ngenze kahle nasemjahweni wanonyaka kodwa ngiyazihlonipha izimbangi zami engizobe ngiqhudelana nazo futhi ngilindele inselelo enzima kuzona,” kusho uSteyn, ekhuluma esithangamini sabezindaba eLangeni Hotel, eThekwini
USteyn uzobe egijima okokuqala ngaphansi kwekilabhu yakhe entsha, iHollywood Athletics Club, ayijoyine ngoJanuwari, esuka kwiPhantane Athletics Club.
Uzodlana imilala no-Alexandra Morozova waseRussia weNedbank Running Club, uNobukhosi Tshuma waseZimbabwe we-Entsika Athletics Club, uJenet Mbhele wakuleli woMzimkhulu Striders, no-Irvette van Zyl weHollywood, okuyibona okubhekeke ukuba bamdlisele ogageni.
USteyn weluleke ozakwabo azoqhudelana nabo kwiComrades ngokubaluleka kokuzethemba.
“Iseluleko sami kubo bonke abagijimi beComrades ngesokuthi bazethembe kwabakwenzayo, kusukela ekuziqeqesheni kwabo kuze kube ngusuku lomjaho.
"Kulabo abazobe beqala ukuwugijima lo mjaho, abangavumeli uvalo lubakhubaze. Lona wumjaho okhethekile ozohlala ungumlando kubona impilo yabo yonke,” kuqhuba uSteyn
UMorozova, obekhuluma ngotololika, uthe uzimisele ngokuphinda amdlisele ogageni uSteyn.
“USteyn ngiyamhlonipha kakhulu njengomgijimi osekhombise okukhulu ukudlondlobala kulo mjaho kodwa kulokhu uzokuzwa ukushisa (emamatheka). Uzoyithola inselelo, sekuyobonakala khona ngeSonto,” kusho uMorozova.
Le ntokazi yaseRussia yiyona elale isibili nyakenye, ngesikhathi esingu-6:05:12, kanti ngo-2022 yadla umhlanganiso.