Staff Reporter
World Champion and Olympic medalist Justin Gatlin has hailed Zimbabwean sprinter Makanaka Charamba as a “special breed” after his stellar performance at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational.
Speaking on his podcast Ready Set Go, Gatlin was visibly impressed after Charamba clocked a blistering 19.99 seconds in the 200m event, a world-leading time.
“We had a world lead. We had a 19.99 by Charamba from Zimbabwe,” Gatlin said.
Co-host Rodney Green echoed the sentiment, praising the 23-year-old National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Indoor Champion’s explosive form.
“That kid’s special. He is the Indoor NCAA Champion. You watch him come from the curve; watch him work,” said Green.
“He’s a bigger guy, and I was very impressed. We’re going to see what he does for Zimbabwe. If he can hold this type of running after the NCAA, it’s going to be hard because he’ll have to peak again. Once you leave this realm of the NCAA, you’re running against the likes of De Grasse, Lyles, and Joseph Fahnbulleh, who opened up his 200m today in 20.07, which wasn’t too shabby. He’s gonna have to be ready for that stage,” added Green
Gatlin also commented on Charamba’s imposing 1.91m frame
“I didn’t realize Charamba was that tall. Sitting in the stands and watching him, I was like, who is this grown man running with these boys? He came up that turn all shoulders. It was a sight.”
According to World Athletics, Charamba is currently ranked 12th in the world in the men’s 200m.
