ONLY two athletes -- Cephas Pasipamire and Gabriel Mvumvure -- will represent Zimbabwe at the International Association of Athletics Federation World Championships in Russia next month after the rest failed to secure berths.Local athletes were using the Harare Athletics Board Track and Field meeting at the National Sports Stadium on Saturday to bid for places at the world athletics showcase. Marathon runner Pasipamire clocked 2 hours 15 min 15 seconds during the Pyongyang marathon in March this year, while United States based sprinter ran 9.98s to qualify for the men's 100m.

Mvumvure's time is the sixth fastest time record for Africa this year. The cut off dates for qualification for the World Championships had been set for July 28 and the National Athletics Association were hoping that the HAB meet on July 27, would produce a surprise.

One of the athletes who had been earmarked to qualify for the men's 10 000, Tapiwa Chikadaga, failed to beat the 28 minutes 05 seconds. In his race, the Black Rhinos athlete stopped the clock in 28 minutes 11 seconds but his time was six seconds off the mark.

Harare Athletics Board secretary Silas Muringani said entries for the Russian championship closed on Sunday with only two athletes having made the grade. The World Championship will get underway in Russia on August 10 to 18.

"Chikadaga was our brightest hope but he failed to beat the 28 min 05 seconds which was hand timed.

"We had hoped that he would qualify for the 10 000m but maybe he lacked competition to push him hard enough because the other top athletes like Jonathan Chinyoka and Elijah Mabhunu did not come for the competition. Now the date for submitting entries for the World Championship closed on Sunday and as it stands we have only Pasipamire and Mvumvure making the grade, meaning we will have a very lean team.

"Another hopeful Ngoni Makusha failed to qualify when he jumped 7.90m in the long jump yet the A standard had been set at around 8.15m," said Muringani.