By
Lindsey Manroel
Arizona Daily Wildcat
800-meter specialist 1 of 7 track and field athletes with UA ties
Though Patrick Nduwimana has spent the last few years in the United States, he won't be representing the red, white and blue in Sydney for the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Nduwimana, the 2000 NCAA champion in the 800-meter dash, will run for his native Burundi.
"He's going to be going in with confidence after having run so well," UA track and field head coach Dave Murray said.
Nduwimana's confidence stems from an outstanding summer. On Aug. 21, the Arizona junior ran the eighth-fastest 800m dash time in the world with a time of 1:44.06.
The pressure that comes along with representing Burundi on an international level is new to Nduwimana - the 2000 Olympics is his first taste of the Olympic experience.
According to associate track and field head coach Fred Harvey, Nduwimana has the capability of overcoming the intense pressure.
"I think he's going to do great. He definitely has the potential to do well," Harvey said.
Nduwimana has run his last five races - all in Europe - in less than 1:45 putting him among the elite 800m runners of the world.
Nduwimana's times have made him a medal contender if he continues his success in Sydney.
"His goal is to make the finals," Harvey said. "Once he's in the finals, anything can happen at that point. I think he's going to do great."
As his times keep improving, Nduwimana continues to rewrite the Arizona record book for the 800m.
Though his NCAA eligibility has ended for outdoor track and field, Nduwimana's times still count as UA records until the end of the Olympics.
Although UA sent two track and field athletes - Matt Guisto and Marc Davis - to the 1996 Summer games in Atlanta, Arizona will be well represented in Sydney as seven athletes with UA ties - Abdi Abdirahman (10,000m), Erin Aldrich (high jump), Klaus Ambrosch (decathlon), Dominic Johnson (pole vault), Trecia Roberts (100m high hurdles), Nduwimana and Chima Ugwu (shot put and discus) will all participate.
Nduwimana's performances this summer have set him apart for the other UA athletes - he likely has the best chance to medal.
"It's exciting having coached him," Murray said. "You're pretty excited for the athlete, they'll always be known as an Olympian."
Nduwimana will begin his Olympic career Sept. 22 when the preliminaries start for the 800m.
