African athletes’ last chance for Olympic slots

THE Doula Senior African Athletics Championships represent the last chance for those vying for Olympic slots.

Funds permitting, the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) intends to send a big team to Cameroon next month. This is to give the athletes a chance to try and qualify for individual events and the relays for the Paris Olympics.

Athletics boss, Tendai Tagara said the association was appealing for funds to enable a larger contingent to travel. He said this was the best chance for the athletes to go and prove themselves just a few days before the qualifying window closes.

The window will close on June 30.

Already Tapiwanashe Makarawu has qualified for the 200m with the world’s fourth best time of the year (19.93 seconds) while Makanakaishe Charamba has made it too with the eighth best time of 19.95 seconds over the same distance he ran last week.

Marathon runner, Isaac Mpofu was the first to qualify, doing so in 2022.

There was good news for Zimbabwe two weeks ago when Rutendo Nyahora was presented with an opportunity to run the marathon in Paris by World Athletics. The world governing athletics body has the privilege to give nations some slots ahead of the Games.

Naaz, he said dreams of sending a bigger team because: “It is the final selection competition for the Olympic Games.

We are chasing one of the few remaining Olympic relay slots.”

Tagara believes if they can get all the American top sprinters to Cameroon, Zimbabwe can make it in the relays.

At the moment Zimbabwe has at least four athletes capable of running sub 10 seconds 100m from the last three legs of the 4x100m.

He said the other incentive is the World Championships. Those that make the grade in Doula would also run at the World Championships in Tokyo next year.

So, he said the African Championships are an ideal platform to measure up against some of the world’s best athletes.

“The African Championships are the biggest stage for our qualified athletes to measure themselves against the top athletes from the continent,” said Tagara.

He believes this year’s Olympics will see Africa showcase its best sprinters from Botswana, Kenya, South Africa and West Africa whose ladies have proven their potency with domineering performances in the continent.

Tagara said his association is appealing for funds to make this possible. He said Zimbabwe stands a chance to send a very good squad of athletes to stand up the heat at the Olympics.

“We are in need for financial help in order for the big team to travel. We appeal for air tickets,” said Tagara.

Some athletes will travel from Zimbabwe and the majority from the US as a good number has shown signs that they may make the grade.

Among those fancied to travel to Cameroon and possibly qualify or come close are Vimbai Maisvoreva who set a new 400m mark of 51.43 seconds, Ashley Miller, the 400m hurdler, sprinters and possible relay team members in the men’s category Clinton Muunga, Ngoni Makusha, Tinotenda Matinyenga, Leon Tafirenyika and Takudzwa Chiyangwa.

Zimbabwe looks set to get quality representation at both the African Senior Championships and the Olympics.

Meanwhile Sobukhazi High School pupil, Alpha Mpofu, broke the Under-20 boys’ 400m record setting a new mark of 46.76 seconds in South Africa last week.

With the time, he qualified for the World Junior Championships set for Peru later this year.