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Zimbabwe: Time Fast Running Out for Beijing Hopefuls
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Zimbabwe Standard (Harare)
10 May 2008
Posted to the web 12 May 2008
Fanuel Viriri
TABITHA Tsatsa is one athlete Samukeliso Moyo would possibly love to hate because she has set high standards that Moyo would not be able to match in time to join Team Zimbabwe at the 2008 Olympic Games, in August.
According to the rules of the Beijing Games marathon, if a runner from a particular country has achieved an A Standard qualifying time, no other athlete from that country can be entered for the same event unless he or she also has the same A Standard qualifying time.
Each country is allowed to enter three male or female athletes in the Olympic Games marathon event -- the maximum allowed for every participating nation provided the athletes have achieved the A Standard qualifying time.
This leaves Zimbabwean top female athletes -- including Moyo -- with the task of setting A Standard qualifying times if they entertain hopes of joining the team for the Games.
The 34-year-old Moyo last Sunday came first in the Nedbank Johannesburg City Marathon, clocking 2 hours 46 minutes 35 seconds, which is a B Standard qualifying time. The privilege for Moyo, who pocketed R60 000 after the race, falls away because of the standard set by Tsatsa.
Robert Mutsauki, the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee chief executive officer, said time was almost up for marathon runners.
The 2008 Summer Olympic Games are set to run from 8-24 August.
"Time is definitely running out for our marathon runners because of the A Qualifying Standard set by Tsatsa (Tabitha). A marathon runner needs at least a three-month recovery period before competing in another race. I know our athletes have to earn a living, but they risk burnout by competing in every commercial race," Mutsauki said.
He added competing in several races, as is happening with Zimbabwean athletes, also affected their time.
"That is the reason why we are not getting world-class times," Mutsauki said.
Two marathon runners, Tsatsa and Mike Fokorani, have so far met A Standard Olympic Games qualifying times.
Fokorani, of Ashanti Gold Mine, booked himself a place in the Zimbabwe team for the Beijing Games when he ran inside the men's marathon A Standard qualifying time of 2 hours 15 minutes, during an international race in Pyongyang, North Korea, on 8 April last year.
Tsatsa, who is based in South Africa, set her qualifying time when she clocked 2hrs 32mins 09sec, coming second in an international marathon in Taipei on 17 December last year.
Mutsauki said the Zimbabwe Olympic Games team will be "officially unveiled" in July.
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Eleven athletes have already qualified to represent Zimbabwe at the Beijing Games. These are swimming sensation Kirsty Coventry, Heather Brand (swimming), Brian Dzingai (200m), Lewis Banda (200m), Talkmore Nyongani (400m), middle-distance runner Cuthbert Nyasango, marathon-runners Fokorani and Tsatsa, women's tennis player Cara Black, cyclist Antipas Kwari and triathlete Chris Felgate.
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