Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube [email protected]
MAKANAKAISHE Charamba wrote himself into Zimbabwe athletics history when he finished third in the Wanda Diamond League final in Brussels on Saturday evening.
After a brilliant year in which he managed several third place finishes in world class fields of the series, the Zimbabwean nicknamed King Kong, ran the 200m in 19.99 seconds in a race won by Kenneth Bednarek of the United States.
South African Sinesipho Dambile who was among the favourites settled for second in 19.89 seconds behind winner Bednarek who clocked 19. 62.
Charamba, often let down by his start off the blocks, will be happy that his feat that guaranteed about US$7 000 was achieved on a race Olympic and World Championships medalist Letsile Tebogo finished fourth in 20.01 seconds.
Charamba has enjoyed a good three seasons on the track first with qualifying for the Olympics and going on to reach the final and missing last year’s Tokyo World Championships final by a place. His time was outside his season’s best of 19.88 seconds.
Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe sprinters have raised their hands at the global stage.
With his good showing in this year’s Wanda Diamond League, Charamba may earn himself invites to big money events in the future though his focus remains the World Championships in Beijing, China next year and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
