Umunonotsi w’Umurundikazi Francine Niyonsaba yaraye abaye uwa mbere mw’ihiganwa ryitiriwe, Continental Tour Gold, rihuriramwo abanonotsi b’ivyamamare kw’isi yose.
Muri iryo higanwa ryabereye i Zagreb ku murwa mukuru wa Croatie, Francine yirutse imetero 2000 mu minota 5, amasogonda 21 n’ibice 56 (5:21:56). Niyonsaba ni we munonotsikazi wa mbere kw’isi yose yirutse izo metero mu mahiganwa yaba ayabera mu kibuga cugaye canke cuguruye mu mwanya muto. Mu 1994, Soni O’Sullivan akomoka muri Irlande yirutse izo metero akoresheje iminota 5, amasogonda 25, n’uduce 36 (5:23:36). Inyuma ya Soni, ku murongo wa kabiri imbere y’uko Francine ahindura amateka, hari hariko Genzebe Dibaba wo muri Etiyopiya: Mu 2017, yirutse ayo ma metero akoresheje iminota 5, amasogonda 23, n’ibice 75 (5:23:75).
Mu kiringo kiri munsi y’ukwezi kumwe, Francine Niyonsaba w’imyaka 28 atahukanye intsinzi mu mahiganwa yo kwiruka atanu akurikirana: Mu ndwi iheze yatahukanye instinzi mu mahiganwa y’imetero 5000 yabereye mu Busuwisi, imbere y'aho yari yatsindiye ayabereye mu gisagara ca Eugene co muri Reta ya Oregon muri Amerika. Imbere y’izo ntsinzi yatsinze n’amahiganwa yabereye mu Bubirigi no mu Bufaransa.
Inyuma yo gutsinda amahiganwa y’ejo ku wa kabiri muri Croatie, Francine yavuze ko “Yishimiye intsinzi atari azi ko yotahukana.” Ni ubwa mbere Niyonsaba agiye muri ano mahiganwa ahuriramwo abanonotsi baza imbere kw’isi yose.
Prezida w’Uburundi Evariste Ndayishimiye na Madamu wiwe Angeline Ndayishimiye bompi bakeje Francine Niyonsaba kw’“iteka amaze imisi atera Uburundi.”
Abakunzi biwe ku mbuga ngurukanabumenyi, nabo buririye ku butumwa bwa Prezida Ndayishimiye n’umufasha wiwe, basavye ko uwu munonotsikazi ashigikirwa biboneka, bamusabira ko yokwitirirwa rimwe mu mabarabara yo mu Burundi kugira bitere intege abandi, urundi ruhande narwo rumusabira ko atahutse yokwakirwa neza agahabwa n’agashimwe gafadika.
Muri kahise katari akakure, Francine Niyonsaba yumvikanye akatari gake yidogera Uburundi ko butamwitayeho, asigura ko butanamufashije mu kwitwarira ishirahamwe ry’abanonotsi IAAF ryamubujije kwiruka imetero ziri hagati ya 400 na 1600. Iryo shirahamwe ryafashe iyo ngingo rivuga ko imisemburo yiwe inyuranye n’iy’abakobwa. Ni inyuma y’iyo ngingo yatanguye guhiganwa kuri metero maremare.