ALL EYES ON SPRINTER MAKARAU
US-BASED sprinter Tapiwanashe Makarawu carries the nation’s hopes at this year’s All-Africa Games and the Olympics after a blistering start to the 2024 season.
The former Bindura University undergraduate and sprinter has run the second fastest indoor time of 20.29 seconds on the 200m indoor circuit.
It is a promising time as the indoor competitions are quite difficult as the course curves right round unlike the conventional 200m on an enlarged track.
If he was to translate that to outdoor all conditions being the same, he has the potential to run a pulsating sub 20 seconds time.
He clocked the season’s second best when finishing first in a track and field event in Texas United States of America on 13 January 2024.
The All-Africa Games will take place in Accra, Ghana from 8-23 March with hopes his university will release him for his country.
At that time the university athletics season will be hotting up with collegiate finals ahead of
the start of the regular athletics season.
Only French athlete Erriyon Knighton Lievin has run a faster time being a 20.21 seconds achieved on 10 February 2024 almost a month after Makarawu had reigned supreme over the distance in January.
Zimbabwean Makanaishe Charamba has run the 41st best indoor 200m and his 20.78 seconds is equally good too. This was achieved on 10 February.
It’s been a promising start to the year with former Plumtree boy Clive Muunga running an indoor 200m of 21.30 seconds, with former City athlete Denzel Simusialela running 21.46 and Edwin Nyamutswa’s 21.56.
With more world class competition over the distance, the indoor circuit could be good preparatory ground for the athletes to shine on outdoor competitions and qualify for the Paris Olympics later during the year.
The quintet’s performances so far have left Zimbabweans with a form belief that this could be the best 4x100m relay team in a long time and with these great times the lads could also do well in the 4x400m relays if they get at least two good 400m runners.