Rwanda’s long distance runner Felicien Muhitira has returned to action as he prepares to compete at the forthcoming 2021 Paris Marathon slated for October 17 in Paris, France. The 26-year-old will be participating at the marathon race in search of qualification to the 2022 World Athletics Championship slated from July 15-24, 2022 in Oregon, United States. It was originally scheduled for August 6–15, 2021 but the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo 2020 Olympics prompted the need for postponement of the race, too, into 2022. The Paris Marathon is one of Europe’s most popular sporting events and Muhitira aims to take advantage of the golden race to improve his current minima that would see him qualify to the World Championships. “The Paris Marathon is a good opportunity for me to improve my performance so I can not only qualify to the World Athletics Championships but also try to impress and get a chance to be invited in bigger marathon events in the future,” vows Muhitira in an interview with Times Sport. Since he recovered from illness, Muhitira has been under intensive training sessions in Nyagatare as he targets to hit at least 2hours 08 minutes at Paris race so he can be able to land more marathon opportunities beyond World Championships. The itinerary of the Paris Marathon, which normally attracts over 40,000 runners each year, will start on Les Champs Elysées. Pending pardon Muhitira was, alongside five other athletes, expected to represent Rwanda at the just concluded 2020 Olympic Games held in Tokyo, Japan. He returns to action trying to bounce back from Tokyo 2020 last-minute exclusion. While with the team in a training camp at Golden Tulip Hotel, Nyamata, the athlete decided to leave the camp without permission of his coach and the National Olympic Committee (RNOSC), claiming that he had gone to seek medical treatment. The Olympic Committee dropped him from the team camp accusing him of violating Covid-19 safety measures just a few days before the delegation departed for Tokyo ahead of the Olympic Games. He was also banned from representing the country in any Olympic events until further notice. Muhitira later apologized to RNOSC but was told that he would get a response after the Olympic Games during which no Rwandan athlete managed to win a medal yet to end Rwanda’s 37-year medal wait, hence returning to the country empty-handed. “I wrote an apology letter to the Olympic Committee but they haven’t met yet to discuss it. I am still waiting for their decision,” Muhitira said. “I’ve learned so much and got to know the importance of communication, how serious things must be as a professional athlete,” he added.
