200m Olympics: Botswana’s Tebogo outsprints them all

There was still joy and delirium in the place as the tape broke at the finish line of the Paris Olympics 200m final this evening.

Despite the lethargic showing by the two very Zimbabwean-named finalists Makanakaishe Charamba and Tapiwanashe Makarawu everyone went home with a smile.

It was a packed house, ensconced at an undisclosed venue in the hills and valleys of Domboshawa and we, sports-mad residents of the sprawling and fast growing peri-urban settlement, had gathered for the historic moment to shout out our moral support for the sadza-bred duo.

We discovered the Paris Olympics Stadium to be just as full and Zimbabwean colours were flowing.

Old Stan, our host on these occasions when we congregate to savour international sport on his big screen, together with his cheerful wife Mai Chido stood indifferently in the rear, intrigued that an athletics broadcast could attract almost the same numbers who check in for live UEFA football matches they regularly beam each week in return for whatever little the patrons can contribute to their kitty in the form of drinks, snacks and grocery.

Arraigned against four highly-hyped US athletes in an eight-man race, the stage was already too lofty to expect too much from the Zimbabweans we had come out to watch but it turned out none of the above was destined for glory.

Letsile Tebogo, an unassuming freshman from Botswana, fled with the wind immediately after the gun cracked that the best his rivals could do was admire his heels.

The 21-year old ably and superbly glided to an unpredicted and unprecedented gold medal on 19.46s, still eliciting thunderous clapping from the house in spite of the fact that there were Zimbabweans lying in his wake.

He has become the first African to win a sprint medal throughout the history of the Olympics and deservedly too.

Makarawu ran his personal best time of
20.10s and Charamba stopped at 20.53s both of which were certainly not good enough but still commendable, moreso the fact that they made the finals and ensured Zimbabwe’s flag illuminated the capacity-filled grand stadium.

The record-setting Zimbabweans took sixth and eighth positions respectively which can never be marked poorly as it marks their world ranking, not far from the their American peers who took silver and bronze.

Just a week shy of the SADC summit in Harare the phenomenon of our southern tip of the African continent fielding three of the world’s eight best 200m runners should spark regional pride and demonstrate that we are as capable as any other in not only athletics or sport but all other endeavours.

*This is Domboshawa
Dispatch*
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