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Chikwakwa shines again
By
Frazer Nazombe - 27-05-2003 |
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Malawi’s athletics whizzkid Catherine Chikwakwa rocked the world again in France when she broke the record in an 18km race held last Saturday in the French city of Salins.
Athletics Association of Malawi (AAM) Media and Information Officer Mzee Makawa said Chikwakwa came out first in 1hr:07:05 beating the race’s record which has been standing for five years.
“The best time that has been unbeaten for five years was 1hr:10:42 and she managed to beat that. We feel proud of her because she is putting our country on the world athletics map,” said Makawa.
Makawa said Chikwakwa received an undisclosed amount of prize money of which she got 650 euros (about K65,000) after deducting air ticket fares to and from Germany, and her manager Dorothee Paulman’s 15 percent commission.
“We encourage her to continue doing well so that she can make it in the world championship where the prizes are much bigger, ”he said.
The AAM media and information officer said Chikwakwa will travel to Manchester, England next week where she will participate in a 3,000m race.
Chikwakwa is expected to return to Malawi on July 29 and later she will take part in a Southern Africa regional race in Lusaka, Zambia before flying to the US where she will further pursue studies.
“We hope the government will assist in getting the air ticket to USA where she will do her studies and further training in athletics. We ask all well wishers to come forward with support as we try our best for her to make the trip,” said Makawa.
Two weeks ago Chikwakwa was also victorious in another 10 kilometre race in France and Poland’s 7.9 km race. During the competition in France, she beat Kenya’s Alice Thebet who was champion of world junior cross country tournament held in Ireland in 2002. |
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