Suburban
Sports Reporter
WITH a few months to go before the Olympic Games and deadlines for the qualification period for the various sport codes fast approaching, local athletes have to step up their game.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are due to take place from July 26 to August 11.
Currently marathon runner Isaac Mpofu and rower Stephen Cox are the only two athletes that have qualified.
The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee had targeted to qualify a team sport in hockey and rugby but they failed to make the cut.
However, as the countdown continues, some of the sport codes they are still pinning hopes on include athletics, golf and swimming, with some of the hopefuls having received Olympic Scholarships.
In athletics, for marathon the qualification period closes on April 30, while for 10,000m, combined events, race walks, and relays the deadline is June 30 as well as for all other events including track and field.
In swimming, the qualification window closes on June 23 while for rowing the final Olympic Qualification Regatta is scheduled to take place in May.
ZOC president Thabani Gonye says they are still hopeful of the possibilities to increase their numbers.
“One of the first low-hanging fruits that we are aware of, is the golfer, Scott Vincent. He participated last time in terms of his ranking. We believe he is sitting well.
“We have a couple of sprinters that I have seen their results. We have already put in a team in America that is actually working on a long-term project in tracking all our athletes, where we have a team at ZOC that is constantly speaking to these with a vision towards Los Angeles 2028.
“But again not losing the fact that we still need to qualify people for 2024. So we have a couple of sprinters that are already very close in their first competitions outdoor to qualify… The outdoor season is open in America until end of May, towards June.
“So, we believe by then they would have qualified without putting too much pressure in the names or the athletes.
“Certainly I don’t believe we are hunting in the dark but we are very aware of what is happening around athletes. We are also still looking at the swimmers,” said Gonye.
For athletics some of the US-based athletes that have posted some promising performances include sprinters Tapiwa Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba.
They are also hoping triple jumper Chengetayi Mapaya qualifies.
A number of marathon runners that include Rutendo Nyahora, Ngonidzashe Ncube, Fortunate Chidzivo, Tendai Zimuto and Blessing Waison are expected to have their last attempt at qualification when they compete in various races this month.
“So we still believe and still dreaming that we can meet our target of 10 athletes. If we don’t but we will be closer to that number.
“It’s a short turn around to Paris but we are still wanting to say let’s give those possibles that can qualify, as a nation. Let’s give them the opportunity to qualify for Paris.
“If they do, what it does is it gives us the numbers. It also gives us a platform to look in the long term, five to 10 years and start looking at LA and then we start planning better as a nation.
“We should be stopping this thing where we are just looking at the immediate. It’s really a culture we have to just incentivise everybody in the support system to start planning long term,” said Gonye.
Mpofu and Cox are already having their training camps with Mpofu based in Harare and Cox is in Australia.
