Tendai Chimusasa
Tendai Chimusasa | |
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Born | Tendai Chimusasa January 28, 1971 Nyanga, Zimbabwe |
Nationality | Zimbabwean |
Education | Kazozo Secondary School |
Occupation | Athlete; Military |
Years active | 1988-2005 (Athletics) |
Employer | Government of Zimbabwe |
Organization | Zimbabwe National Army |
Known for | Being a celebrated long-distance runner |
Tendai Chimusasa is a retired Zimbabwean long-distance runner. He carried the Zimbabwean flag at the opening ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. He is also a member of the Zimbabwe National Army and head coach of Black Rhinos Athletics Club. During his spare time he plays gold just for fun.
Background and Education
Tendai Chimusasa was born on 28 January 1971 in Nyanga. He attended Kazozo Secondary School in Nyanga. He is proud to have been an athlete as the profession gave him an opportunity to be a proud owner of several properties in Harare, three ofthem in Mandara, Hillside and Belvedere.
Career
His journey to stardom all started in 1984 at Kazozo Secondary School in Nyanga. While he was doing Form One, his then class teacher George Chiremba identified him and from there he became a regular in representing Manicaland Province. Turning pro as a 17-year-old greenhorn at the Dorowa 20km race in 1988 where he came second behind the late James Mutsimba, Chimusasa went on to conquer Zimbabwe and represented the country at three Olympic finals including a ninth place finish at Sydney 2000, which would be his swansong at the global games.
Things got even better when he left Nyanga for Harare in search of employment since athletics was not regarded as a profession. Luckily, he again met Mutsimba (a soldier who turned out for Black Rhinos Athletic Club), who invited him to join their club at the Kopje in Harare. He vividly recalls his first race turning out for Black Rhinos Athletic Club when he competed in the Bulawayo Bottlers Half Marathon. He came fifth and that was his last defeat in Zimbabwe.[1]
As his reputation continued to grow, Chimusasa began competing at events beyond the borders and his first was in Ethiopia in 1990 where he met one John Baily, who bought his first athletics gear. That same year Chimusasa met a Portuguese man in Angola who would change his life. He had gone to Angola (1990) for a marathon race and came second behind Addis Abebe. That was when the most important doors opened for his career apart from getting US$7 000 for his efforts. Portuguese coach Fothecum took him to his native country Portugal, where he was based in Lisbon, the capital city, and it opened a new chapter in his career. While in Portugal, he competed in many races that included the Lisbon Half Marathon, which is the most popular race in that country, and won all of them. After that, he packed his bags and left Portugal for Germany in 1993 and continued on his winning stride.
Chimusasa carved his own niche with Black Rhinos Athletics Club in the mid-1980s and went on to make a name for himself in long distance running. He carried the flag for Zimbabwe at the opening ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. He won the Lisbon Half Marathon 1992 and Berlin Half Marathon in 1994 and 1997. Chimusasa was also a cross country runner and won the Eurocross meeting in Luxembourg in 1994 and 1996.
Chimusasa made his name at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics where he reached the semi-finals in both the 5,000 and 10,000 metre races. He then became the first Zimbabwean road runner to finish in the top 10 in the men's marathon at the Olympic Games when he took a credible ninth-place finish at the 2000 Sydney Games in Australia. Besides participating in the Olympic Games, Chimusasa took part in two All-Africa Games editions in Egypt (1991) though he couldnot finish the race due to an injury afterhe ran barefooted and South Africa (1999).[2] He failed to participate at the 1995 All Africa Games in Zimbabwe due to some complications since he was based in Germany and that was another low moment for him.
He held a national record over the marathon at 2 hours 10 minutes and 57 seconds for close to 17 years. It was later bettered by Cuthbert Nyasango who clocked 2 hours 09 minutes.[3]
The Hong Kong Marathon still lives in his memory. He went there as an underdog because Kenyans were always dominating the show, even the media were focusing only on the Kenyans and Ethiopians, and nobody gave him a chance. He shocked everyone when he won the race. His career was brought to a grinding halt by injury at the age of 34 in 2005.
Achievements
Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
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1992 | Lisbon Half Marathon | Lisbon, Portugal | 1st | Half Marathon | 1:01:17 |
1994 | Commonwealth Games | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | 14th | 5000m | 13:59.36 |
1994 | Commonwealth Games | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | 2nd | 10000m | 28:47.72 |
1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta, United States | 13th | Marathon | 2:16:31 |
1998 | Hamburg Marathon | Hamburg, Germany | 1st | Marathon | 2:10:57 |
2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 9th | Marathon | 2:14:19 |
- 1998 World Half Marathon Championships - Eighth Place
- 1996 World Half Marathon Championships - Bronze Medal