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Lovemore Dube

ZIMBABWE track athletes have kept improving their times as they seek to join Isaac Mpofu on the list to represent the country at this year’s Paris Olympics.

Mpofu qualified in 2022 to represent the country at the Olympic Games and has consistently posted good times in fields with great runners from across the globe.

In the 100m Tapiwanashe Makarawu is the toast of the Zimbabwean sprinters and could be entrusted with the crucial legs of the 4x100m relay should Zimbabwe make a serious bid. He has run an impressive 10.14 seconds and needs to shave off 0.14 seconds in order to cut the event which is 10 seconds flat.

His 10.14 seconds is the 24th best time.

Lying 44th in the world is former Plumtree boy Clinton Muunga who has run 10.18 seconds and is not far off the qualifying mark in the 100m.

A better push or running in a quality field in ideal conditions could push the duo of Makanakaishe Charamba and Ngoni Makusha to qualify before the June 30 deadline.

Charamba boasts a year’s best of 10.28 seconds while Makusha’s best is 10.30 seconds. They are 111th and 136th in the world respectively.

The quartet have a good shout on slots in the 4x100m based on their individual 100m times.

Charamba with a world’s best 11th time in the 200m stands the best chance to chop off 0.07 seconds to run below the Olympic standard which is 20.16 seconds as he has run 20.23.

It surely has been a good start for the Zimbabweans as Makarawu has the 15th best time in the 200m where he has covered the distance in 20.29.

In the 400m, there is faint hope of the lads cutting across the 45 seconds barrier.

Takudzwa Chiyangwa leads the Zimbabwean charge with 46.10 seconds and Leeford Zuze 46.13 seconds.

Chiyangwa is 129th in the world and Zuze 136th.

Among Zimbabwe girls chasing an elusive spot for them on the track are Vimbayi Maisvoreva who runs the 400m and Ashley Miller the 400m hurdles.

Maisvoreva at 67th has an outside chance of pulling through as the cut-off time is 50.95 seconds, she has run 52 flat over the lap event.

Miller lies 75th in a time of 58.26 seconds. She would have to run a time below 54.85 seconds if she were to book a ticket to Paris.

There is still time for athletes to make the grade.