The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Majuto Omary
27 July 2011
A prominent Tanzanian 5,000m athlete, Zakia Mrisho, has a chance to raise her bar when she competes in the Stockholm Diamond League that starts tomorrow.
The Zanzibar runner, who also stands a big chance of being included in the national team for the All Africa Games, has been arduously training in Nairobi.Team 100 head coach Zacharia Gwandu said yesterday that Zakia was selected because of her outstanding performance during the last two editions.
Gwandu voiced his optimism that Zakia, one of the household names in the country, would fair impressively at the Sweden event.”She has prepared well for the race and I’m confident that she will leave her mark there despite facing threats from acclaimed runners,” he said.
Gwandu believes that the Zanzibar athlete, who also spent long spells of last year training in Italy, is in high spirits and would use the race to consolidate her position in the Diamond League standings.
“She is aware of the magnitude of the championship, so considering the preparations she has undertaken, I believe she will be out to raise her bar,” the trainer said.The championship, which will include the likes of Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell, is also known as the DN Galan Diamond League.
The League is held at the historical Stockholm Olympic Stadium and is a leading track and field meeting, and the largest annual sporting event in Sweden. The DN Galan offers a unique blend of traditional athletics in a small historic arena and a futuristic sports show with a mix of music, sound effects and the latest technology.
Results over the course of the 14 meetings in each of the 32 individual disciplines determine the winners of the Diamond Race.
Gwandu added that Zakia is among the most feared runner in her category considering her records in the last events.In 2009, Zakia grabbed a gold medal in the 5000m race, clocking 14:57:00 before claiming the second position last year having timed 14:48:00.
“She missed by a whisker the gold last year and she is hungry for it now,” he said, adding that Zakia has lately improved her performance.The Diamond League series replaced the Golden League in 2010. The competition still brings the world’s leading athletes together to compete on a regular basis, but now visits countries outside Europe, including the US, China and Qatar.
The most consistent performers receive a $40,000 (about Sh65m) prize and a special trophy created by Swiss jewellers, Beyer.
AllAfrica – All the Time
Continued here:
Tanzania: Zakia to Run in Stockholm Elite League