ZIMBABWE’S elite sprinting duo, Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba, are back in action.
After suffering injury setbacks at last month’s African Athletics Championships in Ghana, the Olympic 200-metre finalists have recovered and are set to return to competition at the USATF Lone Star Grand Prix in College Station, Texas, tomorrow.
The prestigious meeting is the first United States-based World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event of 2026 and will provide a stern test for the Zimbabwean pair as they line up against some of the biggest names in world athletics.
The event marks an important step in their preparations for the season after their African Championships campaign ended in disappointment.
Makarawu had shown encouraging form, finishing fifth in the 100m final in 10,32 seconds, before suffering a muscle strain during the 4x100m relay heats.
Charamba was then struck by severe hamstring tightness hours before the relay final.
With both athletes carrying injuries, national coach Phakamile Lisimati withdrew the relay team to avoid aggravating the problem and risking longer-term damage.
Having now been cleared by medical teams, Makarawu and Charamba are eager to test themselves against world-class opposition as they build momentum for the months ahead.
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They face a formidable challenge in Texas.
The men’s 200m field features American star Michael Norman, the 2022 world 400m champion, alongside fellow Americans Tate Taylor and Kyree King, while Canada’s Olympic relay medallist Aaron Brown also adds depth to a high-quality line-up.
For the Zimbabwean pair, however, such company is familiar territory. Having reached the Olympic 200m final, both athletes have already established themselves among the sport’s elite and will be looking to make a statement on their return.
The Lone Star Grand Prix boasts a strong programme across several disciplines.
In the men’s 100m, reigning world champion Oblique Seville of Jamaica is set to make his season debut against Olympic champion Andre De Grasse of Canada and Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes.
The women’s 200m will feature Olympic champion Gabby Thomas and Nigeria’s Favour Ofili, while the women’s hammer throw includes Olympic champion Camryn Rogers in a field featuring three athletes who have surpassed the 80-metre mark.
For Zimbabwean athletics fans, however, attention will be firmly fixed on Makarawu and Charamba.
Their rapid recovery underlines both their resilience and professionalism, and tomorrow’s race presents an opportunity to reassert themselves on the international stage.
Meanwhile, 22 of Zimbabwe’s top junior athletes are set to represent the country at the Southern African Confederation of Athletics Under-18 and Under-20 Championships, which begin today in Mauritius.
The competition runs until Sunday at the Côte d’Or National Sports Complex and will bring together some of the region’s most promising young athletes.
Zimbabwe’s squad of sprinters, middle-distance runners, hurdlers and field athletes will be chasing both medals and qualification standards for the 2026 World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Oregon.
Selected through National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe trials and strong performances at the National Association of Secondary School Heads Championships, the team combines established junior champions with emerging talent.
Among the leading Under-20 athletes expected to spearhead Zimbabwe’s challenge are 400m runners Anesu Nyahuma and Emmanuel Uriga, as well as sprinter Trey Chimunya, under the guidance of coach Aaron Whyte.
