Triple jump sensation Chengetayi Mapaya jumped the top ranked indoor mark in the world with a leap of 16.80m on day two of the New Mexico Collegiate Classic in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the US on Saturday.
The 23-year-old former African Junior Champion, who is on an athletic scholarship at Texas Christian University (TCU) comfortably won the triple jump event at the high-profile indoor meet for his second successive victory in as many weeks.
More importantly Mapaya’s impressive leap means he preserved his number one ranking in the National Collegiate Athletic -Association (NCAA) in the US.
The world is at his feet 🌍
Du’s jump of 16.80m (55' – 1.50”) is currently the No. 1 triple jump mark in the world!#GoFrogs | @duchenge28 pic.twitter.com/6hfllVd9cL
— TCU Track & Field (@TCUTrackField) February 6, 2022
He was previously ranked first in the NCAA with his jump of 16.48m which he recorded last week at the Texas Tech Open & Multis. It was Mapaya’s first competitive meeting since a hamstring injury robbed the former St George’s College student of what could have been a debut appearance at the Olympics in Tokyo.
Meanwhile just like last week there was also success for Mapaya’s Zimbabwean compatriots Kundai Maguranyanga and Tinotenda Matiyenga on Saturday as they combined with David Seete and Robert Gregory Jr to claim victory in the 4×400 relay.
The squad’s time of 3:06.30 is a top 10 time in the NCAA this season.
Matiyenga, a former student at Prince Edward School in Harare before moving to TCU also finished sixth overall in the 60m finals with a time of 6.78.
The Zimbabwean athletes at TCU, who are all looking in a very good form ahead of July’s World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA will return to action at the Iowa State Classic which will be held this weekend in Ames, Iowa.