Zimbabwe leave Paris empty-handed, as Nyahora fails to finish marathon

ZIMSPHERE

PARIS, France – Zimbabwe’s long-distance runner Rutendo Nyahora was one of the six athletes that failed to finish the Women’s Marathon on Sunday morning, capping off a largely disappointing campaign for the Zimbabwe Olympics team.

Rutendo Nyahora poses at the 2024 Paris Olympics [Image: Zimbabwe Olympics Committee]

Netherland’s Sifan Hassan won the event after an intense sprint-finish with Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa who holds the world record in the women’s marathon. She set an Olympic record in the process, clocking in at 2:22:55; and making the win her third medal at the 2024 Olympics. Assefa followed closely behind at 2:22:58, while Kenya’s Hellen Obiri came third in 2:23:10. 

Rutendo Nyahora pulled out from the race at the halfway mark, after battling a persistent hamstring cramp for most of the race. This leaves Zimbabwe without any medals from the seven events that it participated in. 

The highlight of Zimbabwe’s participation at the 2024 Paris Olympics was Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba’s participation in the Men’s 200m finals where they finished 6th and 8th respectively. 

Long distance runner Isaac Mpofu did well to crack into the Top 20 of the Men’s marathon, finishing 19th. 

Swimmers Paige van de Westuizen and Denilson Cyprianos finished 25th and 28th in the Women's 100m freestyle and Men's 200m backstroke respectively. 

Stephen Cox finished 5th in the Final E of the Men's Single Sculls in rowing, ultimately ranking 29th out of 33 participants.

The seven athletes who represented Zimbabwe at the 2024 Paris Olympics are all based outside Zimbabwe. Makarawu, Charamba and Denilson are based in the United States. Van der Westhuizen and Cox are based in the United Kingdom. Marathoners Mpofu and Nyahora are based across the Limpopo, in South Africa. 

This is unsurprising to most, considering the poor investment in sport that has been prevalent in this country, even during the Kirsty Coventry golden years. 

Zimbabwe last took to the podium at Beijing 2008, when Kirsty Coventry won a gold medal and three silver medals in different swimming events.