Makarawu hits, Charamba misses out by a whisker

Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba once stood side by side in the same Olympic final. A year later, the two Zimbabwean sprinters - friends, rivals, and flag bearers - saw their paths split in Tokyo, with only one making it to the World Athletics Championships 200-metre final.

On a night where hundredths of a second drew the line between elation and heartbreak, Makarawu powered into the final, clocking 19.98 seconds to advance as a fastest loser. Charamba, meanwhile, suffered the cruelest fate—ninth overall, one place outside the cut.

Charamba had seemed destined to extend their joint story after a blistering 20.03 seconds for third in his semi-final. What followed was an agonising wait, seated beside South African great Wayde van Niekerk, as giant screens replayed his run. When the results finally flashed, Charamba's name sat just outside the top eight. His bowed head told the story of a dream deferred.

Makarawu's route was equally nerve-shredding. Drawn into the night's fiercest heat, the national record holder stumbled slightly on the bend but rallied with a powerful home straight to secure fourth. His 19.98 seconds edged him into the final by the slimmest of margins, capping a brutal semi-final where half of the final's field emerged from one race.

"Zimbabwe's hopes were based on the two athletes," said Phakamile Lisimati, National Athletics Association director of coaching and Team Zimbabwe leader. "Unfortunately, Makanakaishe came third in his heat but missed out because other heats were quicker. So we wish Makarawu the best of luck for the final. He has been a shining star for us."

The night claimed several big names. Australian prodigy Gout Gout faded to 20.36, Jamaica's Adrian Kerr and Christopher Taylor bowed out, and even van Niekerk could not survive the cut.

Heat 2 proved merciless: world champion Noah Lyles stormed to 19.51, Britain's Zharnel Hughes followed in 19.95, and South Africa's Sinesipho Dambile sneaked in at 19.97, leaving Makarawu to claim the last spot in a Southern African photo finish. Heat 3 added more fireworks with Jamaica's Brayn Levell running 19.78 and Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana clocking 19.95.

For Makarawu, the challenge now is to refine his bend and summon the form that carried him to a 19.84 national record earlier this season.

"I have matured enough to handle big occasions," he said before the championships, words that now echo with added weight.

Lisimati is confident a medal is possible. "It is going to be a tight race with Lyles and Tebogo, but Carlie [Makarawu] has given us hope. If he fixes one or two technical issues from the semi, he can excel and maybe reach the podium."

Charamba's heartbreak, though painful, still offers promise. His 20.03 showed he remains on the cusp of the world's elite, a reminder that Zimbabwe's sprint future has more than one pillar.

For tonight, however, all eyes are on Makarawu. The 26-year-old, once a Bindura University student and now US-based, carries the nation's hopes into the blocks. If he can surpass his own record under Tokyo's bright lights, he will not only chase a medal but etch his name into Zimbabwe's sporting folklore.

From Paris to Tokyo, from shared dreams to diverging paths, the story of Makarawu and Charamba has captivated Zimbabwe. The final chapter of this meet awaits tonight—when one man in green and gold sprints with a nation urging him on.