Team Zim fancying their chances

Wallace Ruzvidzo in PARIS, France

TEAM Zimbabwe have expressed confidence that they will win medals at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games, on the back of decent preparations and the athlete’s zeal.

Zimbabwe have sent seven athletes to the Summer Games, which start tomorrow and run until August 11.

The country will be represented in athletics, rowing, and swimming. Sprinters Makanakaishe Charamba and Tapiwanashe Makarawu both qualified for the men’s 200m, while Isaac Mpofu and Rutendo Nyahora will carry the national flag in their respective marathon races.

African Games medallists, Paige van der Westhuizen and Denilson Cyprianos will represent Team Zimbabwe in swimming while Stephen Cox will compete in rowing.

In an interview after briefing Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who arrived here yesterday to attend the official opening ceremony, Team Zimbabwe Chef de Mission Ringisai Mapondera indicated that they were upbeat about their athletes bagging a medal or two.

“Oh yes, they have had four years to prepare and as an athlete you will know that the Olympics are the pinnacle of everything so we are certain that they have been preparing.

“The chances are very high and we are very positive about and expecting that we should at least be getting a medal or two but our happiness is that we have seven athletes here representing Zimbabwe,” Mapondera said.

Mapondera gave an update on the final preparations being done by the country’s participants. “We have received five of our athletes, which are the ones we were anticipating to arrive for now and they are all waking up in the morning and going to their respective venues to prepare.

“They are training at the venues and our first athlete to compete will be Stephen Cox for rowing on the 27th,” he said.

He went on to allude that the competition programme was being released in stages with veterans Mpofu and Nyahora, whose marathon events come towards the end, only expected to arrive in Paris on August 4.