US-BASED Zimbabwean sprinter Tapiwa Makarawu meets the world’s best athletes as he takes part in the Budapest 23 World Athletics Championships National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary today.
The heats get underway this morning with the semi-finals set for tomorrow and the finals on Friday.
The World Athletics Championships started last Saturday and will end on Sunday.
Makarawu made it to the international stage in the US in April when he crossed the line in 20.10 in the Texas Tech Corky/Crofoot Shootout at the Terry & Linda Fuller Track and Field Complex, his personal best record and also set a new national record.
He beat the world championships qualifying time which is 20:16.
Coach Benson Chauke is quoted saying: “Having a podium finish is everyone's wish going to any competition and we hope that our athletes will be able to also set their personal best times. We just hope that our athletes will post good results that will enable them to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics.”
Makarawu is ranked 62 in the men’s 200m race category and 116 in men’s 100m competition in the world.
The favourite to win the 200m race is American Noah Lyles, the two-time reigning world champion with a leading record of 19.47 attained at the London Athletics Meet.
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The world record of 19.19 is held by Bolt from the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
It is also the World Championship record while Bolt also holds the Olympic record of 19.30 from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Lyles has the third fastest time of 19.31 in the 200m race, which he set in the last World Championships meet.
Gold in this year’s competition will see him get to three, one behind sprint legend, Jamaican Usain Bolt who rules the roost.
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, the African champions, is also another contender with a personal best of 19.50 in 200m.
Other sprinters to watch are Americans Erriyon Knighton and Fred Kerley and Canadian Andre De Grasse.
Makarawu is in Hungary with marathon runners Isaac Mpofu, Fortunate Chidzivo and Ngonidzashe Ncube.
The long-distance runners go into competition at the weekend.
