Zimpapers Logo

Ellina Mhlanga

Senior Sports Reporter

TEAM Zimbabwe chef de mission for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games Ringisai Mapondera says they are pleased with the effort put in by athletes that are going to represent the country in Paris.

Zimbabwe are sending seven athletes to the Games due to take place from July 26 to August 11. Marathon runners Isaac Mpofu and Rutendo Nyahora are joined by sprinters Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba (200m) for athletics.

Stephen Cox is up for the men single sculls in rowing. In swimming, Zimbabwe will be represented by Denilson Cyprianos and Paige van der Westhuizen in the men’s 200m backstroke and women’s 100m freestyle respectively.

“The whole starting point of Olympics is the Olympism spirit. They are there, they are Olympians, no one can take that away from them. Gold medals, or silver medals, bronze medals those are the pluses of being at the Games.

“But what they are now, they are Olympians and that is to us what is most important. Zimbabwe is being represented at that particular stage.

“We would not want to put pressure on these athletes. They have done their best to be where they are.

“They are amongst the best. So, yes we go there hoping for medals, but we are happy with the team we have, and we are happy with the efforts that they have put in to be at these Games,” said Mapondera.

The athletes will be travelling directly to Paris from their respective bases.

Only Mpofu is in Harare.

“In essence, all the athletes when they qualified the national federations were requested to send how they want to get assistance in terms of preparation and all athletes preferred to be where they are.

“So, what we have is a situation where the athletes are going to travel from their bases, where they are located direct to the Games and we meet up with them in Paris.

“Every athlete is training in the environment that they are comfortable with, that they chose.”

After sending five athletes at the last Games, three on universality slots, there has been an improvement for the upcoming Games with four of the athletes — Mpofu, Makarawu, Charamba and Cox — meeting the qualifying times during the qualification phase.

Nyahora, Cyprianos and Van der Westhuizen received universality slots from their respective international federations.

The National Olympic Committee had hoped to double the figure from the Tokyo 2020 Games. ZOC president Thabani Gonye is confident they have a competitive team and added that they are looking beyond the Paris Games.

“I am not one to limit how far they can go and I am not one to put pressure on what they should attain because, at an individual level, they want to go and do their very best.

“I believe they will do their very best and also because we want to anticipate that when they do well they should be recognised.

“But at the same time qualification for me, gives me confidence that we are on an upward trend. We will get better and LA (Los Angeles) we have already started working on that journey to make sure that the number we set out we are going to double in LA 2028.

“So, we are very clear that the direction we are going in we are never going backwards where we were. “We went the last time with a few slots but this time I think we have been able to qualify directly in terms of attaining the A standard. So, we are on that journey and I believe we will do very well,” said Gonye.

ZOC has put in place a substantial incentive package to motivate the athletes with gold medallists to receive US$10 000. Silver medallists will get US$7 500 and US$5 000 for bronze.

Those who make the finals and make the top 10, will be rewarded in a staggered manner with fourth position getting US$2 500.