Chronicle Editor
Wallace Ruzvidzo in PARIS, France
Team Zimbabwe has expressed confidence that they will win medals during the fast approaching Paris 2024 Olympic Games on the back of adequate preparations and zeal.
Zimbabwe has seven athletes competing at the games, which run until August 11.
The country will be represented in athletics, rowing and swimming.
Sprinters, Makanakaishe Charamba and Tapiwanashe Makarawu both qualified for 200m while Isaac Mpofu and Rutendo Nyahora will carry the national flag in the marathon races.
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 fancied the team’s chances in 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,” he 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 going to their respective venues to prepare.
“They are training at their venues and our first athlete to compete will be Stephen Cox for rowing on the 27th,” he said.
He said the programme was being released in stages but Mpofu and Nyahora will arrive in Paris on August 4.
“The others will be going through their paces, the programme is being released in stages.
“The last crew we are expecting are the marathon runners who will be here on August 4 but inbetween we will have our swimmers also taking to the pool after the rowing,” he said.
The athletics competition is set to run from August 1 to 11.
Online Reporter