Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE athletics had a great 2025, by far the most successful season in years, with several athletes making it to the world’s top lists in their individual races.
The National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe president Tendai Tagara is happy with the athletes’ performances and Government support.
“For the first time in more than 30 years that senior Government officials followed the team to Japan. That Permanent Secretary Moyo (Nicholas) came to cheer up the team, to see how such competitions are run. We set the bar high; it is very possible to have more than 10 athletes at the Los Angeles Olympics,” said Tagara.
Tapiwanashe Makarawu, Makanakaishe Charamba, Takudzwa Chiyangwa and Isaac Mpofu placed 10th at a level that made the world take note of Zimbabwe as a potent force in the sport.
Makarawu reached the final of the World Championships in Japan finishing seventh in the final just like he did in 2024. He was seventh in the Olympics 200m final in a year he set a national record.
He continued with his fine form setting another mark in the 200m of 19.84 seconds breaking his previous mark of 19.94 seconds. That mark had set in 2024 had been shattered by Charamba whose 19.92 seconds 200m record just lasted less than three weeks.
Charamba proved once again that his reaching the Olympics 200m final last year was no fluke. He missed this year’s final by a whisker placing ninth overall best in the semis to miss by a lane in taking part in a race that had the best taking to the blocks in Letsile Tebogo of Botswana and eventual winner Noah Lyles (US) who took his revenge on the Motswana who had eclipsed him to Olympic gold last year.
With a time of 19.84 seconds Makarawu finished as the ninth best 200m runner while Charamba is 13th on 19.92 on overall times posted this season.
Denzel Simusialela was, as of yesterday, ranked 49th overall with a time of 20.20 seconds.
The 200m trio shone on the indoor circuit where Charamba and Makarawu ran the fastest of 20.13 seconds to be crowned the best in the discipline.
Simusialela was 32nd in the indoor 200m with a time of 20.67 seconds.
National record holder in the 300m, Takudzwa Chiyangwa had a blistering 2025 recording a personal best of 32.38 seconds. It is the 10th best time of the year and going forward he will be handy in the 4x400m relays and 4x100m relay teams if he maintains his form.
Makarawu finished the year as the 69th best with a time of 33.01 seconds in the 300m, not his best race but he used it to tune up for the 200m season in which he was successful.
Isaac Mpofu’s stars continued to shine bright with another world-class performance when he finished 10th in the Tokyo, Japan held World Athletics Championships.
David Nyamufarira ran a 6.57 seconds 60m on January 17, to set the world’s 52nd best time where Makarawu placed 92nd in 6.60.
Ashley Miller’s 55.01 seconds of the 400m hurdles qualified her for the Japan World Championships and was rated the 41st best time.
The national women’s record holder in the 400m, Vimbayi Maisvoreva’s 50.25 seconds was ranked 22nd best, meaning that even among women sprinters, Zimbabwe is not so bad.
Probably a second-string 4x400m relay men’s team, Zimbabwe fielded, managed to finish the year on 51st and qualified for the World Relays.
In the 100m Nyamufarira was unfortunate not to run under 10 seconds to qualify for the World Championships. His best of 10.01 seconds was 48th with Simusialela’s 10.03 seconds 57th.
Chiyangwa was 94th in the 400m with a time of 45.19 seconds.
In field events, the best performer was Chengetayi Mapaya who managed 17.15m in the triple jump. His jump is the 17th best in the world with Theophilus Mudzengerere’s 16.38m a distant 93rd.
Tafadzwa Chikomba’s 8.06m in the long jump places him 59th.
“In terms of juniors performed very well. Our athletes reached finals in the junior championships in Nigeria, which was a good performance again,” said Tagara.
