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Zimbabwe: Brian Dzingai in Superb Form
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
1 July 2008
Posted to the web 1 July 2008
Collin Matiza
Harare
ONE of Zimbabwe's top sprinters, Brian Dzingai, gave an early indication that he will be one of the country's medal hopefuls at next month's Olympic Games when he won the men's 200m event at the Lille Metropole Meeting in Velleneuve-d'Ascq in France last Friday night.
With the start of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, barely a month away, Dzingai confirmed his good form by clocking 20.39 seconds in winning the men's 200m race despite cold conditions and an unfavourable wind.
According to reports from Villeneuve-d'Ascq, Dzingai was the fastest man off the blocks as he went on to win the race ahead of Stephane Buckland of Mauritius (20.52sec) and Pole Marcin Jedrusinski (20.73sec).
But Dzingai's winning time was, however, outside his national record of 20.12sec he set in June 2004 in Austin, Texas, in the United States.
Dzingai also took part in the 100m event at the Lille Metropole Meeting last Friday but he finished a disappointing sixth in 10.34sec, a time, which is outside his personal best of 10.23sec.
The race was won by St Kitts' Kim Collins in 10.10sec ahead of France's Martial Mbandjock (10.23sec) and Craig Pickering of Great Britain (10.25sec).
But it was Dzingai's winning performance in his favourite 200m event that gave a strong indication that he was shaping up well for the Beijing Olympic Games athletics events which start on August 15.
Dzingai's good show also received a thumbs-up from the International Association of Athletics Federations who now rank him as the second-best 200m runner in the world.
According to the latest IAAF 2008 World Athletics Tour Standings, which were released yesterday, Dzingai is lying in second place with 36 points, one behind Antigua's Brendan Christian. Christopher Williams of Jamaica is placed third with 35 points.
Dzingai is, however, ranked lowly in the latest 2008 World Athletics Tour Standings for the men's 100m where he is currently lying 31st with eight points.
The top three places are occupied by Jamaica's Nesta Carter (42 points), Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas (41 points) and Michael Frater of Jamaica (39 points).
Dzingai's overshadowed the one produced by his fellow countryman Young Talkmore Nyongani in the 400m race at the same meet last Friday.
Nyongani, who is also part of Team Zimbabwe 2008, found the going tough in the 400m event where he finished fourth in 45.83sec.
His time was well outside 45.76sec, the time he clocked when winning the men's 400m event at the Confederation of African Athletics Grand Prix Series in Congo Brazzaville at the beginning of last month.
It was also outside his personal best of 44.96sec.
Nyongani is now ranked as the 13th-best men's 400m runner in the world with 16 points.
Another Zimbabwean sprinter Lewis Banda is in 32nd place with seven points.
Like Dzingai, Nyongani is also currently taking part in the IAAF Area Permit Meeting series in Europe, which they are using to sharpen up for the Beijing Olympic Games.
Apart from Dzingai and Nyongani, Zimbabwe have another medal hopeful at the Beijing Games in United States-based long jumper Ngonidzaishe Makusha.
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Makusha, who is on an athletics scholarship at Florida State University, is currently flying high in the United States where he set a new mark in his favourite event with an 8.30 metre leap at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships which were recently held at the Drake Stadium in Iowa.
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