Zimbabwe Olympic Committee chief executive Marlene Gadzirayi believes the future is promising if the country can build on the positives from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The Games ended on Sunday night with the official closing ceremony at the Stade de France.
While Zimbabwe for a fourth consecutive edition of the Games, fell short in terms of medals, Gadzirayi is encouraged by the performances posted by the athletes at the Paris Games.
Zimbabwe had seven athletes competing in athletics, rowing, and swimming. Four of them directly qualified for the quadrennial multi-sport event, and three received universality slots.
The best performance came from sprinters Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba, who reached the men’s 200m final.
Isaac Mpofu finished in position 19 in the men’s marathon.
It was a historic moment for Zimbabwe to have two athletes in a sprint final.
The last time Zimbabwe had a sprinter in the final was at the Beijing 2008 Olympics when Brian Dzingai made it into the final. Initially, he was placed sixth before he was upgraded to fourth place after the disqualification of two athletes.
Makarawu and Charamba finished sixth and eighth respectively.
“I believe they have put on a very good show doing so well. Of note is having two sprinters in 200m on the starting line-up of the final.
“So that was very good, and watching Makarawu and Charamba competing at that level, particularly in the first Olympic show, a first Olympic participation is very commendable.
“It is a testament to the work they have put in over the years, from when they started competing, when they started running.”
Zimbabwe had Paige van der Westhuizen and Denilson Cyprianos in swimming after the two got universality slots.
Competing, the expectation was for them to improve their times, with the hope that they build on the experience for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
They both bowed out in the heats with Van der Westhuizen ranked 25 out of 29 swimmers that competed in the women’s 100m freestyle while Cyprianos got a personal best and was placed 28 overall in the men’s 200m backstroke.
In rowing Stephen Cox was ranked 29 out of 33 participants.
Rutendo Nyahora received a universality slot in the women’s marathon. She dropped out of the race as she struggled from the early stages.
“I believe Team Zimbabwe has acquitted itself well and credit also to the coaches . . . They are the unsung heroes and these Olympics they have worked hard.”
“So, for me, it’s more about, we need to invest in sport. It’s not just a cry for money, it’s not just a cry for anything.
“But we are looking at facilities, we are looking at sponsorships, we are looking at partnerships, particularly with these athletes because most of them, or all of them it was their first Olympics except Rutendo, who is back after Rio 2016.
“But it’s really about ensuring that we put our money into these athletes because that is where lifeblood comes from because we are looking at the facilities, the technicalities and even ensuring that our coaches as well, also are part of the benchmarking exercise.
“I believe we are at that level and we just need to push in terms of that investment in sport,” Gadzirayi.
The ZOC chief executive stressed the importance of athletes regularly competing at major competitions.
“So let us also not pull them back and just wait until another four years because Olympic participation, Olympic qualification, and getting into the Olympics is not a one-day thing.
“It’s a whole investment over several years, eight to 10 years even. So, we are in Paris but already we know 2028 is Los Angeles, let’s work on that.”
Most of the athletes are flying back to their bases from the Games.