US duo lead Zimbabwean athletics charge

WITH the big athletics boys Makanakaishe Charamba and Tapiwanashe Makarawu still loading for 2026, triple-jumper Chengetai Mapaya and sprinter Denzel Simusialela have been the torch bearers appearing in the top 15 of their respective events. Charamba and Makarawu who both turned professional last year, are yet to take to serious competitions as they now campaign in the paid ranks whose season starts later. For most the athletes in the US, it has been college athletes in action. The long preparation period will now allow them to be at their peak for major events which are usually in August and September. In their absence Mapaya finds himself ranked 11th on the indoor scene with a jump of 16,85m, an effort 50cm behind Algerian who leads the rankings pack with 17,35m.

Another Zimbabwean, Theophillus Mudzengerere features on the World Athletics top lists lying 16th with a jump of 16,71m. Enjoying the same ranking is Simusialela in the 200m which is 11th on the outdoor and eighth in the indoor, on 20,47 seconds.

Chasing and on 44th ranking with 20,69 seconds is Denis Hove. Simusialela also has a 6,64 seconds time in the 60m dash, which has him 173rd in the world while over that same distance long-jumper Tafadzwa Chikomba lies 21st with 8,09m.

Alpha Mpofu, a 200 and 400m runner, remains stuck on his 330m time of 33 seconds flat clocked in Kansas in the US on 16 January. That time was on indoor scene and compared to those that have made bids outdoors his time is 28th, not so bad for a lad in his second season of academic and athletics scholarship.

The season may be in its infancy, but Zimbabweans have done well so far with Hove having a 400m time of 45,83 seconds and Leeford Zuze 45,62 seconds in the one-lap event.

Vimbai Maisvoreva continues to be among the top female sprinters with a time of 51,80 seconds in the women’s 400m.

Her world ranking is 48th.
A lot is expected from Zimbabwean athletes on the track, pits and road.