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Ellina Mhlanga in PARIS, France
AS they go into today’s men’s 200m semi-final at the Stade de France, Makanakaishe Charamba and Tapiwanashe Makarawu are hoping for another positive outcome.
The two produced brilliant performances during the heats on Monday.
The first two in each of the three semi-final heats, and the next two fastest times, advance to the final.
The semi-final heats are scheduled to start just after 8pm tonight.
Charamba is up in semi-final two where he faces 100m gold medallist, Noah Lyles, from the United States.
He is also up against Letsile Tebogo again after running the same heat in the first round on Monday. Charamba made it to the semi-final after finishing on number two in heat three with a time of 20.27 seconds.
Tebogo won the heat in 20.10 seconds.
“Looking at the line-up I will say I am just expecting to go out there and have fun. I don’t want to put pressure on myself to do anything spectacular.
“I just want to go out there and do what I have been doing with my coach and a few things we worked on today.
“And, I am just looking forward to a great show, that’s it,” said Charamba.
Being his first Olympics, Charamba said the experience has been good.
“The experience is great. This is my first like individual international championship, so I am just cherishing the moment, having fun and see what happens.”
Makarawu, meets Erriyon Knighton of the United States again in semi-final three.
They were in the same heat in the first round with Knighton emerging the winner in 19.99 seconds.
“I think I have a good heat. I have the chance to make the finals if I run a good heat tomorrow. But I think we are going to have fun with the guys like they are really fast guys.
“Like Erriyon Knighton and Joseph Fahnbulleh and the other guys from Italy, (Filippo) Tortu, they are fast guys which means I have to run that semi-final tomorrow like a final so that I can make the final. “I think I am going to tackle this race like a final because it’s not going to be easy to make the final.
“And I think since Knighton is in front of me again, I am just going to chase him because I know he is fast.”
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter