Tokyo, Japan — Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba lit up the National Stadium last night, powering into the men's 200m semi-finals at the World Athletics Championships and keeping Zimbabwe's medal hopes alive.
A cool Tokyo breeze swept through the 68 000-seat arena, built in the shadow of the Meiji-jingu Shrine and framed by Shinjuku's shimmering skyline, as the two Zimbabweans strode to the blocks.
Their mission was simple, prove their Olympic heroics in Paris last year were no fluke.
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The pair entered the meet under the spotlight. Both had electrified fans at the 2024 Games, and now, in Japan, the stakes were even higher.
Eight Zimbabweans started this World Championships. By last night only Makarawu and Charamba were still in the hunt. The rest of the team, 400m women's hurdles specialist Ashley Miller, 400m sprinter Vimbayi Maisvorewa and marathoners Fortunate Chidzivo, Isaac Mpofu and Tendai Zimuto, had already wrapped up their campaigns.
Before the sprints stole the show, triple jumper Chengetayi Mapaya opened Zimbabwe's programme.
A veteran of three World Championships, Mapaya was hoping for a breakthrough. But his leap of 16.59m left him eighth in his qualification group and 15th overall, short of the required 17.10m or a top-12 finish.
"It didn't go according to plan. The plan was to reach the final but I missed out by about four slots. So yeah, definitely not excited about that, so disappointed is the other statement to use," he said.
Mapaya, who graduated from a US university and now works there, admitted he needs to rethink his approach, especially without the financial backing he once had in college.
"I don't know, I have to reset and re-evaluate. I have to figure something out . . . I need some support.
"I didn't do well in the last three World Championships and so something has to be done to elevate myself because there is no improvement there," added Mapaya.
Then came the roar. National 200m record holder Makarawu, drawn in lane six of Heat 2, blasted out of the blocks and never looked back. He crossed in 19.91 seconds, ahead of American Courtney Lindsey (19.95) and Jamaica's Adrian Kerr (20.13).
"All God's work," he said, smiling. "I always put God first. Track and field isn't easy, so I tell myself to enjoy it. I used to feel pressure but now I'm used to it and I have a team around me. I'm more mature and I don't get distracted by what people say.
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"Everybody is here to win a gold medal. Apart from Tebogo, who is always having fun, it's very competitive and high quality out there. After this I'll rest, see the physio and get ready for tomorrow."
Charamba, the tall, powerful sprinter based in the United States, followed in Heat 5. Running in lane five, he surged strongly down the curve and clocked 20.06 seconds to finish second behind Jamaica's Brian Levell (19.84), with Australia's Gout Gout third in 20.23.
The top three from each heat advanced.
"I mean, coming into that heat, coach Ken (Harnden) said just go out there, execute your best race, survive and advance," Charamba said.
"We haven't raced in a month and just needed to execute our plan. It was a pretty competitive heat but I wasn't worried about others. I wanted to run my own race and put myself in a good position to reach the semi-final and possibly the final."
Watching Makarawu win moments earlier gave him an extra spark. "I was pretty happy for him," he said.
"Just watching my fellow countryman go through the semis. Now I'll listen to the plan coach Ken draws and execute it."
Their performances electrified Zimbabwean fans who braved the late Tokyo evening or followed from thousands of kilometres away. For a country craving new track heroes, Makarawu and Charamba have quickly become symbols of possibility.
The semi-finals are set for tonight at the same venue. Both athletes know they will need even faster times to reach the final, but their confidence is unmistakable.
