Local top female athlete Asimenye Simwaka has underlined her growing reputation by winning a bronze medal in a 200m event at the Senior African Athletics Championship in Douala, Cameroon Wednesday.
She set a new national and personal record after finishing the race in 23:05.
During the preliminary round, Simwaka made it in 23:01 beating her previous record of 23:16 when she qualified for the semifinals.
In the semifinals, she ran in 22:91 beating her record which she set earlier in the day.
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Simwaka was unavailable for comment.
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Her coach Pachisi Nyasulu hailed Simwaka for her determination.
“She is always focussed and hungry for success. We just need to offer her more support and good results will follow,” Nyasulu said.
In the final, she was up against Destiny Smith- Barnett of Liberia, Ghana’s Mary Boakye, Tsaone Sebele of Botswana, Ivory Coast pair Jessika Lauren Maca Gbai, Maboundu Kone, South Africa’s Shirley Nekhubui and Herverge Kole Etame.
The feat came after Simwaka set a new national and personal best record in 100m when she ran 11:35, making the first female local athlete to run this fast but failed to meet the Olympic Games qualifying time of 11:07.
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During the 100m final, Simwaka finished sixth with 11:49. Gina Mariam Bitaye of Gambia emerged winner after posting 11:14 while Maia McCoy of Liberia was second in 11:16. Maboundou Kone of Ivory Coast finished third in 11:24.
She reached the semifinals after she ran a record of 11:51 which was her personal best but also national record for 100m in Malawi.
But she broke the record again in the semifinals.
