dyton mupawaenda
Robson Sharuko-Editor
THE MAKAMAKA Express, powered by Makanaka Charamba and Tapiwanashe Makarawu, rolled into the final of the 2024 Olympics 200m showdown on an historic and beautiful night for Zimbabwean athletics in Paris yesterday.
The 200m final is on tonight.
Under the bright lights of the eternal City of Love, the two Zimbabweans sprinted into the history books when they gave their country its first two places in the final of an athletics event at the Olympics.
Both Makarau and Charamba finished third in their semi-finals but their times were good enough to ensure they squeezed into the final where only the top two finishers, in the three heats, were guaranteed a place.
Zimbabwean athletics has never had it this good and the duo’s performance, on the biggest stage of them all, has given their countrymen and women a lot of pride and their races last night drew huge interest among Zimbabweans.
Makarawu finished his race in 20.16s while Charamba completed his race in 20.31s.
Charamba’s time meant Andre De Grasse, the Canadian who won Olympic gold in the 200m at the last Olympics, was eliminated and will not feature in the final.
De Grasse had finished third in the first heat.
Letsile Tebogo of Botswana ran the best time of 19.96s.
He beat 100m gold medallist Noah Lyles, who finished in 20.8s, with Charamba finishing third.
The only time Zimbabwe had an athlete in the final of a sprint race at the Olympics was at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing when Brian Dzingai finished fourth in the 200m race won by Usain Bolt.
Dzingai, who is Charamba’s mentor, initially finished sixth but was upgraded into fourth place following some disqualifications.
He arrived in Paris yesterday and will watch Makarawu, the man who broke his local 200m national record, which had stood for more than two decades, try and fight for gold tonight.
“I’m very happy and I thank God for that, it’s such an honour because it’s history that we have made, me and Maka, and we really thank God for that,” said Makarawu.
Charamba said:
“The aim, coming here was just to enjoy myself so I’m not setting expectations for myself, I’m just gonna go there and try and try and have fun.
“Me and Tapiwa we can now call ourselves the history makers because at the end of the day people never expected two Zimbabweans to be in the final.
“It’s a great feeling because the last Zimbabwean, if I am not mistaken, in the Olympic final in athletics was Brian Dzingai, who is my mentor.
“I listen to him, I managed to make the Olympic final and it’s a great feeling for me, him and Tapiwa.”
Online Reporter