INSEPHE yomgijimi uStephen “Tshipi” Mokoka, izozwa amanzi ngobhoko emjahweni iTotalsports Two Oceans Marathon, lapho izogijima okokuqala ebangeni elide.
Lokho akusho ukuthi uMokoka akekho ohlwini lwabagijimi okwethenjelwe kubona, ukuthi baphume phambili emjahweni wodumo.
UMokoka (39) osengumakadebona emijahweni yebanga eliwu-10 000m nakowe-half marathon, useyinqobe amahlandla amane iTwo Oceans Marathon, ebangeni lika-21km. Kulokhu uzogijima okokuqala koweTwo Oceans yebanga lika-56km, lapho zizoshukana khona ngoMgqibelo ozayo, eKapa.
Ngokugijima ebangeni lika-56km, uMokoka ujoyina ozakwabo ekilabhini yakhe iHollywoodbets Athletics Club, okunguNkosinathi Mhlakwana olale isithathu nyakenye, Irvette van Zyl owalala isibili kwabesifazane ngo-2022, noMakhosazane Mhlongo, ukubala abambalwa.
Nyakenye ibanga lika-56km kwiTwo Oceans linqotshwe nguGivemore Mudzinganyama waseZimbabwe, ongaphansi kwe-Entsika Athletics Club ngesikhathi esingu-3:09:42. Kwabesifazane umhlanganiso wadliwa nguGerda Steyn eqopha irekhodi elisha lomjaho ngesikhathi esingu-3:20:06, ephula irekhodi likaFrith van der Merwe lika-3:30:36 aliqopha ngo-1989.
Irekhodi leTwo Oceans lika-3:03:44 elaqoshwa ngo-1988 ongasekho uThompson Magawana ongasekho, alikaphulwa ngumuntu. Ngabe uMokoka unaso isifiso sokulephula irekhodi ?
“Angikaze ngimbone uThompson Magawana. Kodwa isikhathi sakhe (asiqopha) kwiTwo Oceans singihlaba umxhwele. Kodwa mina ngasohlangothini lwami, okwamanje ngisadinga ukufunda ibanga kuqala. Uyabona, uGerda (Steyn) ngaphambi kokuba aphule irekhodi kwabesifazane, wayesewugijime kablili lo mjaho.
“Ngakho-ke akukho emqondweni wami kulo nyaka ukugijimela ukwephula irekhodi elithile. Injongo yami ukuthatha amandla ngiqwale izintaba zaseKapa, ukuzicijela umjaho wama-Olympic Marathon, ngo-Agasti,“ kusho uMokoka.
Ama-Olympic azoba eFrance kusukeka ngoJulayi 26 kuya ku-11 Agasti.
“Angivamile ukugijima i-marathon enezintaba, i-marathon enezintaba engisayigijimile yiCape Town Marathon engayinqoba ngo-2022, (yebanga lika-42.2km). Yingakho ngiphinde ngagijima kwiHong Kong Marathon neTaipei Marathon yomibili okuyimijaho enezintaba engiyigijime ngoJanuwari, nangoMashi kulo nyaka ukulungiselela iTwo Oceans Marathon.
“Njengomgijimi osemusha ebangeni lika-56km injongo yami kulo nyaka ukugijima nje ngizithokozise, ngifunde umjaho. Ngizodinga ukuthatha amandla nokufaka umoya kakhudlwana, kuthi ngonyaka ozayo noma olandela ozayo, bese ngicabanga ngeyokulwela amarekhodi,” kuqhuba uMokoka.
Nakuba ekhuluma kanje uMokoka, ngenxa yamava akhe kwezokugijima kungemangaze ukumbona engena kwabazophuma phambili.
Umgijimi wamangaza abaningi ngesikhathi eqopha irekhodi lika-2:40:13 kwiNedbank Runified Breaking Barriers 50km, eGqeberha ngo-2022, eqala ukugijima ebangeni lika-50km.
Nokho irekhodi lakhe laphulwa nyakenye ngumkhaya wakhe uTete Dijana, adabuka naye eMahikeng, eNorth West, ebeka elisha lika-2:39:04.
UMokoka uzobe egijima okwesine kuma-Olympic njengoba agijima okokuqala ngo-2012, ngo-2016, nango-2021.