Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, [email protected]
ZIMBABWEAN athletes in the US have performed so well and there are strong indications that the 2025 season could eclipse the successes of last year.
In 2024, Zimbabwe made history when it fielded two athletes in the final of an Olympic event when Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanaishe Charamba made it in the 200m final.
It was the first time that Zimbabwe achieved that feat and with the United States of America providing a pair in the final, Tendai Tagara and his National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe management and technical teams had all the reasons to walk tall.
Zimbabwe’s two top sprinters, Charamba and Makarawu, have not let the country down.
After last week’s US indoor finals, Charamba ran a season’s best of 20.13 seconds with Makarawu’s 20.20 the second best in the world, a remarkable feat for the country and athletes’ individual resumes.
When translated to outdoor conditions, which are not as difficult, both athletes can run a sub-20-second 200m and qualify for the Tokyo World Championships this August.
Makarawu after his 20.29 seconds went on to set a national record of 19.93 seconds on the outdoor, with Charamba doing a great time too, of 19.95 seconds.
There have been other notable times recorded by Zimbabweans over the distance this year, including Denzel Simusialela’s 20.91 seconds, David Nyamufarira’s 21.07 seconds, and Takudzwa Chiyangwa’s 21.11 seconds. This indicates a promising year in the relays, should the athletes qualify for Japan.
Female sprinter Vimbai Maisvoreva, born on January 25, 2000 is ranked 26th in the world in the 400m. She timed 51.55 seconds in Texas last Friday when she finished second in heat five of a very competitive championships.
She remains a hopeful for the World Championships, provided she carries her form to the outdoor tracks in a few weeks’ time.
Nyamufarira, a prospect for the future in the 100m and 200m, is a valuable consideration for one of the legs in the 4x100m relay. He set a new 60m dash record of 6.57 seconds on January 17 of this year.
On the same day, Simusialela clocked 6.65 seconds, a warning shot as to what can be expected of the Bulawayo lad.
Chiyangwa obliterated Makarawu’s national record of 33.01 seconds set on January 10 in the 300m when he ran the distance in 32.38 for a new national mark.
Takudzwa Pahuwa has the third best 300m time indoors of 33.42 seconds, which he set on January 24.
It is the 400m that Zimbabwean runners have had a shaky start, with Pahuwa’s 46.89 seconds, the best so far possibly an upper 45 seconds in outdoor season.
All things being equal and fair to early season promise, Zimbabwe athletes will have a big shout in the 100, 200 and 4×100 relays this year.
