By Zim Sport Live Writer
Olympic Games finalist Makanakaishe Charamba capped off a strong Diamond League campaign by winning a bronze medal in the men’s 200 metres final in Brussels, further cementing his status among the world’s leading sprinters.
The 24-year-old Zimbabwe star clocked 19.99 seconds to finish third in a the star-studded race which was won by American Kenny Bednarek in 19.62 seconds.
South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile took silver with a time of 19.89 seconds, while Botswana’s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo finished fourth in 20.01 seconds.
Charamba’s latest podium finish marks another significant milestone in his rapid rise on the international athletics circuit.
The Zimbabwean has enjoyed a consistent Diamond League campaign against some of the world’s best 200m runners, highlighted by his second place finish in Doha in June, when he finished second behind Dambile in a personal best of 19.88 seconds.
He followed that with third-place finishes in Eugene and Lausanne, clocking 20.11 and 20.14 respectively, before finishing fourth in Zurich in 20.10.
Those results earned Charamba enough points to secure a place among the finalists for his first Diamond League season finale.
Charamba also claimed his first professional victory away from the Diamond League circuit in July, winning the 200m at the USATF Lone Star Grand Prix in College Station, Texas, in 19.88 seconds to equal his personal best.
His bronze medal in Brussels provides further impetus for his preparations for the innagural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, next weekend where he will look to maintain his impressive run of form.