Impressive ... Tapiwanashe Makarawu qualified for the semifinals with fourth best time in 200m heats
PARIS, France – Zimbabwe’s 200-meter national record holder Tapiwanashe Makarawu qualified for the semi-finals of the Paris Olympic Games with a time of 20.08 seconds in Heat 5 of the preliminary rounds on Monday.
He was the second Zimbabwean to go through on the night after Makanakaishe Charamba ran 20.27 seconds in Heat 3, finishing second behind Tebogo Letsile of Botswana who clocked 20.10 seconds.
Makarawu and Charamba return to the track on Tuesday where they will be racing for a place in Wednesday’s final.
Makarawu qualified for the Olympics after setting a national record of 19.93 seconds, and he was not far off that time as he finished second to Knighton Erriyon of the United States who won the heat with a time of 19.99.
The pick of the heats was Kenneth Bednarek of the United States who lit up the timing boards with a time of 19.96 in Heat 4. Only Bednarek, Erriyon, and Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic (20.04) had a better qualifying time than Makarawu.
It can only get harder from here for the two Zimbabweans, but they both appear to be up for the challenge as the country still chases that elusive medal at the Paris games.
