Zimbabwe's sprint star in good spirits

Zimbabwe's sprint star Tapiwanashe Makarawu is excited and confident as he prepares for his debut at the Olympic Games.

Makarawu will compete in the men's 200m event at the Stade de France, alongside compatriot Makanakaishe Charamba, both participating in their first Olympics.

Their final preparations included races in Belgium and Switzerland, followed by a week-long training camp in Germany under the guidance of coach and Zimbabwean athletics legend Kenneth Harnden.

Makarawu, who has been training with Charamba, recently reunited with his coach Henry Tabarie in Paris. He feels positive about his progress, noting improvements since his last race on July 16 in Switzerland, where he won his heat with a time of 20.24 seconds despite a headwind. Makarawu is upbeat about his chances, expressing satisfaction with his training and the improvements he has seen under his coaches' guidance.

At the Paris Games, a new repechage format for individual track events offers athletes who don't qualify in the first-round heats a second chance to advance to the semi-finals. Makarawu, who holds the national 200m record and qualified with a time of 19.93 seconds, is thrilled to represent Zimbabwe and aims to enjoy his first Olympic experience without pressure, following his coach's advice.