20 Facts About Ngonidzashe Makusha

Ngonidzashe Makusha was born on 11 March 1987 and is a Zimbabwean sprinter and long jumper.

Ngonidzashe Makusha is the national record holder over 100 m and long jump for Zimbabwe with 9.89 s and 8.40 m, respectively.

Ngonidzashe Makusha started his athletics career at Mandedza High School in Seke, Zimbabwe.

In July 2006 at the Zone Six Youth Games in Windhoek, Namibia, Ngonidzashe Makusha achieved results of 7.87 metres in the long jump, 14.90 metres in the triple jump, 10.64 seconds in the 100 metres and 21.57 seconds in the 200 metres.

Ngonidzashe Makusha reached the final in the long jump event, but finished twelfth and last.

The next year Ngonidzashe Makusha competed at the 2007 All-Africa Games, where he won a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay, together with his teammates Gabriel Mvumvure, Brian Dzingai and Lewis Banda.

Ngonidzashe Makusha competed in long jump and 100 metres, achieving 7.69 metres and 10.52 seconds in the two events.

Ngonidzashe Makusha enrolled at Florida State University in Fall of 2007.

Ngonidzashe Makusha quickly improved his long jumping, and won bronze in the event at the 2008 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville with a mark of 7.97 metres.

Ngonidzashe Makusha commented that "This is one of my dreams and it just came true".

Ngonidzashe Makusha then represented Zimbabwe at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Ngonidzashe Makusha did not improve further, and was overtaken by Godfrey Khotso Mokoena and Ibrahim Camejo, who leapt 8.24 and 8.20, respectively, and thus finished fourth, while Saladino won the event with a mark of 8.34 metres.

Ngonidzashe Makusha jumped a Zimbabawean national indoor record of 8.21 metres.

Ngonidzashe Makusha only competed in two meets in 2010 due to injury.

That June, Ngonidzashe Makusha won three national titles, the 100 metres, long jump and 4x100 metre relay, at the 2011 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships with marks of 9.89 seconds, 8.40 metres, and 38.75 seconds, respectively.

Ngonidzashe Makusha took bronze in the long jump at the 2011 World Championships with a leap of 8.29m.

Ngonidzashe Makusha placed first in the long jump competition at the 2014 Globen Galan with a mark of 8.18m.

Ngonidzashe Makusha started his coaching career while still a professional athlete.

Ngonidzashe Makusha was a volunteer assistant coach for Florida State for six seasons.

Ngonidzashe Makusha then spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Drake working with the sprints, jumps and hurdles athletes, while pursuing a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership.