Asande Mthembu targets USSA long-jump title in Gqeberha

Mthembu will compete in the long jump event at the University Sport South Africa Championships (USSA) in Gqeberha on Friday and Saturday.

Mthembu, who was part of the Athletics South Africa national youth and the junior team that received a hero’s welcome at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday, flew straight to Gqeberha upon arrival in Johannesburg.

"I'm feeling very happy that I managed to [win silver] despite all the obstacles that I had on the way, and I'm hoping to do even better at the USSA championships, and possibly at the world student games in China in July – if I qualify for it," said Mthembu.

"I feel like competition in Ndola [Zambia] wasn't worse than anything I'm really experiencing in South Africa, because the winning jump was 7.86 [metres] but at the SA champs third-place got a 7.88m.

"So, the level of competition wasn't as bad, I think that I just wasn't as well prepared as I could have been for the competition, to come back with a gold medal."

Coached by Neil Cornelius at the University of Pretoria, the 18-year-old also hopes to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

"From when I was 15, my coach already instilled that thing in me where we've been working strictly towards qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris," he added.

"So, we've already been busy with preparations and plans just to get there, and this is the year when we're really going to take a step further towards accomplishing that goal."