Rio Paralympics: Muvunyi eyes medal in men’s 1500 meters

Today Men’s 400m-T46 semi-final 3:30pm Men’s 1500m-T46 final 11:20pm Paralympic medal hopeful Hermas Muvunyi is confident of ending Rwanda’s 12-year Paralympic medal wait today when he competes in the men’s 1500m-T46 final race scheduled to take place at 11:20pm (Kigali time) at Olympic stadium in Fort Copacabana, Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Making his second appearance after debuting at the 2012 London Paralympics, Team Rwanda captain will, however, first compete in the men’s 400m-46 semi-final race at 3:30pm vying for a slot in the final slated for Saturday. “I feel positive and ready and all I want is to go out there and try to win a medal, I am very focused on the 1500m race because it is where I feel I stand more chances of winning (a medal),” said the 27-year old. Muvunyi had initially opted to compete only in the 1500m race after finding out that both races were scheduled on the same day. However, he was informed that according to International Paralympic Committee (IPC) rules and regulations, every athlete is obliged to compete in all the disciplines that they qualified for, incase they pull out from one, they are barred from participating in the entire competition. For the former 800m T-46 world champion added that, “It is a disadvantage that both competitions were put on the same day but I want to give all I have to make it to the podium, I have had time to acclimatise and work on my intensity.” Before departing for Rio, Muvunyi confirmed that he would retire from the sport only if he wins a medal at the quadrennial world’s biggest multisport event for people with physical disabilities. On his debut at the 2012 London Paralympics, Muvunyi finished fifth in 400m T-46 clocking 49.59, a regional record. Rwanda has only one Paralympic medal (Bronze) from the 2004 Athens Paralympics that was won by Jean de Dieu Nkundabera in the men’s 800m T-46 category.

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Rio Paralympics: Muvunyi eyes medal in men’s 1500 meters