Zimpapers Logo

At 22 and 23 respectively, Makanakaishe Charamba and Tapiwanashe Makarawu debuted at the ongoing Olympics in Paris, France. 

We know it is tough on that track, racing against the world’s best as the world watches.  It can be frightening as well, especially for a debutant.  Thus, for a first-timer to navigate through heats, the semi-finals and into the final as Charamba and Makarawu did in the 200m is to do extremely well.

In the final on Thursday night, Makarawu finished sixth while Charamba was eighth. Both were happy lifting their national flag so highly on the world stage.  

We are happy too that the youngsters did this for the motherland even though they did not get medals. In our view, just ending up in the final on their first starts and against expectations, the athletes actually won big for themselves and their country.  

We think their times are competitive.   

Makarawu ran the final in 20.10 seconds, faster than the 20.16 he achieved in the semifinal. In the first-round heats on Monday, he was on 20.07, his fastest time at the Paris Olympics.  

Charamba finished the final at 20.53 seconds, slower than the 20.31 he did in the semi-final and the 20.27 in the heat.

“So, from today onwards, I now know what I really need to work on and we will see how it goes from today until next year Tokyo World Championships,” said Makarawu.

Charamba said he was anxious at first but “since the race is done now, and now I have the experience, I will just carry it going forward. Now I know what to do and what not to do going forward . . .”

Their remarks show us that the pair learnt a lot this week; lessons which they must build upon into the future. The focus now  is on the World Championships in September next year and other competitions later.

However, the real deal is the next edition of the Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles, US. Charamba would be 26 then while his mate would be 27. 

They would be at their prime in the physical sense.  They would have matured mentally and psychologically; and gained much more experience as well as confidence to be better able to stand the intensity of the world  stage.

We urge them, their coaches and the local athletics body to work very hard for podium finishes in Los Angeles.

But the 200m final is not the end of our race in Paris. Isaac Mpofu, 35, is up against Kenyan and Ethiopian duelers in the marathon today. Rutendo Nyahora, 35, is in the same race against the same culprits tomorrow.   

Not many of us thought Charamba and Makarawu would reach the final but they did. That has taught us a lesson that the determined can perform against the odds. For that reason, we are confident that Mpofu and Nyahora have a chance like every competitor in their races to do well. 

At 35 now, 2028 looks too far away for them so why not end their Olympics participation with a flourish?