Thandaza Zwane fastest in Greece Athletics Meeting 100m
HE is so close to qualifying for the upcoming Paris Olympic Games in France from July to August.
The Eswatini sprinter, only in his first season since he was banned for five years from the sport for an unfortunate anti-doping test, is making great strides.
He is just so close to qualifying for the prestigious Olympic Games billed for France this year.
Thandaza Zwane was on Sunday the hero in Greece after he raced to the first position in the 100m heat of the Greece Athletics Meeting in Athens. This was an Olympic Games qualifier, but he did not make it. However, he still has more qualifiers like the African Championships in Cameroon next month.
“I clocked my season best (SB) time of 10:43 seconds. I also got position one but no medals. I’m so happy about this performance. If anything, it’s surprised me as I didn’t expect it. I thought this season was just my build-up after a long layoff from competition,” he said as he was interviewed telephonically while at the airport on Monday afternoon to return home.
Zwane said he was confident in doing well in his next races and to qualify for the Olympics in the African Championships probably also.
“I’m happy to have come to Europe as I got other invites for international races while qualifying for other major races internationally. I’m trying to qualify for the Olympics. Also, I have the National Championships this weekend where I hope to be the new 100m champion,” he said.
Zwane is already qualified for the African Championships 100 and 200m. He has also outpaced the country’s fastest sprinter in Eswatini and Tokyo Olympics semi-finalist Sibusiso ‘Swazi Bolt’ Matsenjwa early this year during the National Championships buildup tournament.
“We are all fighting to be the national champion, and hopefully, I will outrun Sibusiso again as we all want one thing - to be the national champion. I’m happy to be back competing after so long. It’s a great performance, and I think I will continue to do well even next season,” Zwane said.
Meanwhile, Zwane was also training in South Africa, Pretoria alongside National 100 and 200m champion Bongiwe ‘Smolly’ Mahlalela. The latter also got bronze on Sunday evening in Dromia but did not make the 11:08 Olympic Games qualifying time for her 100m heat.
Zwane, on the other hand, alongside Matsenjwa, has the qualification time of 10:01 seconds to hit or better it. He is currently on 10:40 personal best and 10:43 season best.
Matsenjwa clocked 10:06 seconds in the April buildup race to the National Championships while Zwane clocked 10:04 seconds. The latter had last gone international in the 2018 season during the Commonwealth Games prior to his latest return to competition.