Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, Zimpapers Sports Hub
TWENTY months ago, few would have imagined Zimbabwean athletes breaking into the world’s biggest stage. Yet next month in Tokyo, that belief becomes reality. The country is set to field its largest team-ever at the World Athletics Championships —eight athletes ready to test themselves against the sport’s elite.
The squad expanded on Wednesday night when Chengetai Mapaya and Ashley Miller confirmed their places, joining six others who had already qualified: sprinters Vimbai Maisvoreva (400m), Makanakaishe Charamba and Tapiwanashe Makarawu (200m), and the marathon trio of Tendai Zimuto, Isaac Mpofu and Fortunate Chidzivo.
The spotlight will shine brightest on the men’s 200m, where Charamba and Makarawu, both Olympic finalists, will face off against the fastest men on the planet. Leading the field is Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, Africa’s 200m champion and Olympic gold medallist from Paris, with a blistering time of 19,76 seconds. He is not only a rival but also a continental standard bearer.
At the Paris Olympics last year, Tebogo claimed gold while the Zimbabwean pair fought valiantly to reach the final, finishing seventh and eighth. Now, they return wiser and faster.
They may once again clash with American powerhouse Kenneth Bednarek, an Olympic medallist who has clocked 19,67 this year, and the man to beat, Noah Lyles of the USA, the reigning benchmark with 19,63. Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards, who qualified with 19,86, adds further intensity to an already stacked field.
Zimbabwe’s rise has been nothing short of remarkable. Charamba briefly held the national record at 19,92 seconds in April, only for Makarawu to lower it to 19,84 — at present, the eighth fastest time in the world this year and Africa’s second best. If they remain healthy and manage Tokyo’s heat, both could challenge for podium finishes and push their own records even further.
“This qualification wave is a statement of rejuvenation and revival. With athletes like Makarawu and Charamba breaking into the elite sprinting ranks, Maisvorewa and Miller representing the new face of women’s track talent, Mapaya carrying Zimbabwe into the field events, and Mpofu, Zimuto and Chidzivo keeping the marathon tradition alive, the team symbolises a nation’s athletic rebirth,” said the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe in a statement.
Association president Tendai Tagara expressed immense pride in the team’s achievement.
“This is a proud moment for Zimbabwean athletics. For the first time in over 20 years, we are sending such a strong and sizeable team to the World Championships. These athletes have worked tirelessly to qualify, and their presence in Tokyo proves Zimbabwe is back on the global athletics map. We are confident they will inspire the nation and compete with courage and heart,” said the veteran coach and administrator.
Zimbabwe’s team of eight
Tapiwanashe Makarawu – 200m
Makanakaishe Charamba – 200m
Vimbayi Maisvorewa – 400m
Ashley Miller – 400m Hurdles
Chengetai Mapaya – Triple Jump
Isaac Mpofu – Marathon
Tendayi Zimuto – Marathon
Fortunate Chidzivo – Marathon
