Chidzivo’s unwanted minute

Mugove Chigada

ZIMBABWE’S Fortunate Chidzivo must chop out a further one minute, one second from the national 10 km record she set at the Cape Town race to make the grade for Tokyo 2020.

Chidzivo won the Cape Town 10 km marathon over the weekend, managing to clock a new Zimbabwean record of 32:26.

However, the IAAF approved standards for the Tokyo 2020 games, described as one of the hardest, have the 10 km race standard set at 31:25 for women.

In Cape Town, Chidzivo improved her own personal record of 33:49 and broke the previous course record of 32:49 set by Irvette van Zyl in 2018.

With the qualifying period having opened from May 1 this year and set to be closed on June 29, 2020 the Zimbabwean athlete is already racing against time.

But for now Chidzivo is content with basking in the glory of her Cape Town triumph.

 “Lord my words are not enough to thank you, course record, national record and PB, I’m speechless and humbled,” Chidzivo posted on her Facebook page soon after her win.

“I cried tears of joy today. I never saw this coming. Many thanks to my coach Chris Bruwer, you always work around to see me improving. To my other Half Hillary T Chifamba, thanks love you (are) my pillar of strength.

“To my mother, you are the best mum, I am where I am today because of you. I can focus on my training and races knowing that my title human are in safe hands.”