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SPRINTERS Brian Kasinda, Abigail Chongo and long distance runner Godfrey Chama yesterday kept alive Zambia’s hopes of minting some medals at the ongoing Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games after qualifying for the finals.
The trio join Sydney Siame who is today competing in the 100m as Zambia seeks to win some medals following eliminations of judoka Nokotula Banda, swimmer Ralph Goveia and the boys and girls hockey 5’s teams.
Kasinda, a silver medallist at the Africa Youth Games (AYG) in Botswana, timed 21.40 seconds to finish behind Heat Three winner Han-Chun Yang of Tapei, who clocked 21.03 seconds ahead of second placed Italian Filippo Tortu on 21.38 seconds.
In the finals, Kasinda will battle it out against Akanni Hislop of Trinidad and Tobago (21.27 seconds), Han-Chun, Jun Yamashita of Japan (21.11 seconds), Baboloki Thebe of Botswana (20.85 seconds), Noah Lyles USA (20.71 seconds), Chad Walker of Jamaica (21.12 seconds) and Tortu.
Chongo finished in distant sixth position but her timing 25.99 seconds in the 200m women’s race saw her claim a place in tomorrow’s finals. The heat was won by Nyatichi Thomas of Kenya followed Brandee Johnson who timed 24.33 and 24.41 seconds respectively.
The Zambian sole female runner only managed to beat Eneda Deleiu of Albania and Sangay Wangmo of Bhutan, who clocked 27.31 and 30.87 seconds respectively.
She will now battle it out against Fanta Mbye of Gambia who timed 26.31 seconds, Elaine Jex of Belize (25.23 seconds), Roseanna Mcguckian of Ireland (24.38 seconds), Tomomi Kawamura of Japan (24.29 seconds), Laydy Barona of Ecuador (24.27 seocnds), Teodora Gheorghe of Romania (23.95 seconds) and Tegan Wilson of Canada (24.70 seconds).
In the 800m, Chama, a bronze medallist at the AYG, finished in fifth position and improve on his personal best time heading into Monday’s finals.
Despite finishing fifth, Chama managed to improve on his personal best time after clocking 1:51.29 minutes from the previously held 1:53.09 minutes and finished behind heat winner Myles Marshall of the United States of America (USA), who timed 1:50.22 minutes.
Chama will face apart from Marshall in the finals, the likes of Mohamed Elamrani of Morocco (1:50.22 minutes), Morka Mulata of Ethiopia (1:47.10 minutes), Geofyre Balimumiti of Uganda (1:50.68 minutes), Ryan Patterson of Australia (1:50.68 minutes), Myles Marshall of USA (1:48.43 minutes), Tom Elmer of Switzerland (1:50.18 minutes) and Moussa Yousef of Qatar (1:50.77 minutes).
Times of Zambia
