|
Malawi’s top female athlete Catheline Chikwakwa has failed to qualify for this year’s Olympic Games but she got a silver medal at the 10th International Athletics Associations Federation (IAAF) world junior championship on Tuesday in Italy.
Chikwakwa’s dreams of participating in the world event were shattered when she finished the 5000m distance in 15.36 seconds against the Olympic’s Women B standard qualifying time of 15.20.
Chikwakwa came second to Ethiopia’s Melkamu Meselech who finished in 15.31, also failing to qualify for the global event.
Athletics association of Malawi (AAM) secretary general Haxson Chapasa said in an interview on Thursday the association is not very worried because Chikwakwa has improved.
“Although she has failed to qualify for the Olympics, we are not very worried because she has broken a record.
“Malawi has never produced a world number two athlete whether in male or female categories both junior and senior,” said Chapasa.
National athletics coach Isaac Phiri also commended the young athlete for the good showing but bemoaned the failure to go to Olympics 2004.
“We are happy to have produced that world class athlete but we are still worried because she may go to the Olympics on solidarity,” said.
Chikwakwa also failed to qualify for the games in Zomba last week.
During the Zomba trials upcoming athlete Kondwani Chiwina (a third year Environmental Science and Technology student at the Polytechnic) surprised many when he finished 1500m in 3.58 against the Olympic Men’s B standard time of 3.37.
|
