Mvumvure storms into 200m final

UNITED States-based sprinter Gabriel Mvumvure stormed into the finals of the 200m event at the ongoing 20th CAA African Senior Championships at Kings Park Athletic Stadium here yesterday. The final is tentatively set for 4:55 pm today. Mvumvure put behind the ignominy of having failed to make it past the semi-final stage of the 100m dash on Wednesday when he finished fourth in Heat One of the qualification stage.

However, yesterday running in cool weather conditions, the dimunitive runner made his intentions clear in the morning when he came first in the sixth of seven heats and he convicingly came first in a time of 21,12 seconds to reach the semi-final stage.

He passed the final test when he clocked 20,77 secs albeit coming third in a race that was won by Divine Oduduru of Nigeria in a time of 20,48secs while Sydney Siame (20,75) was third. However, in athletics everything is possible and Mvumvure might end Zimbabwe’s baren medal spell.

It won’t be easy for him though, as he will be lining up with the best in the continent who include reigning world champion Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa, Adama Jammeh of Nigeria, Emanuel Matadi of Liberia, Clarence Munyai of South Africa, Oduduru and Siame.

The 4x400m relay team also made it in into today’s final albeit by default, as there were not enough teams to fight it out in the semi-finals.

It was not a bed of roses for other members of Team Zimbabwe yesterday as young Ngoni Makusha also running in the 200m semi-finals, Mary Mudyiravanji POLAND claimed the first Euro 2016 quarter-final place Saturday by beating Switzerland 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out after Arsenal-bound Granit Xhaka blasted his spot-kick wide.

Jakob Blaszczykowski proved again he has the midas touch for Poland as the Borussia Dortmund winger gave his side a first-half lead in the last-16 clash.

Xherdan Shaqiri’s spectacular second-half bicycle kick levelled for Switzerland and with the scores 1-1 after extra time, the clash at Saint-Etienne’s Stade Geoffrey Guichard went into penalties.

Xhaka, who will join the Gunners after the European Championship finals, sent Switzerland’s second penalty wide while Poland nailed all five kicks.

Blaszczykowski, nicknamed “Kuba”, then drilled home Poland’s fourth shot and his nation was sent into delirium when Grzegorz Krychowiak nailed the crucial fifth kick.

Poland have not reached the quarterfinal of a major tournament since the 1982 World Cup. — AFP