Local short distance athlete Asimenye Simwaka gave Team Malawi false hopes with an impressive performance in the preliminary round of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
However, the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldier still bowed out of the competition in the first round.
Details have emerged that Simwaka pulled her hamstring in a warm-up before competing in the preliminary round.
All eyes were set on Simwaka after compatriot, swimmer Filipe Miguel Gomes, finished on position 49 out of 74 participants at Paris Defense Arena in France on Thursday Simwaka—competing in heat four, lane eight— showed her potential when she finished second in her heat.
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Simwaka finished second behind Zahria Allers-Liburd in heat four to progress to the next round.
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The MDF athlete posted 11:78 while Allers-Liburd finished first in 11.73.
The Malawian was seen struggling with her right leg hamstring as she worked towards the finishing line.
Eventually, Simwaka bowed out of the 2024 Paris Olympics after finishing eighth out of nine participants in heat one of the 100 metres in the first round.
She finished the race in 11:98, failing to match 11:78 which she posted in the preliminary round.
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However, she fell short of her personal best record of 11:35, which she set during the Senior African Athletics Championship in Cameroon in June.
In a brief response, Simwaka said she was delighted with her feat.
“I am a proud Malawian,” Simwaka, who also plays for the Scorchers, said.
Her coach Pachisi Nyasulu said she pulled her hamstring, such that it affected her performance.
“She sustained a hamstring injury—what we call a grade two injury. She sustained it during warm-up while she was getting ready for the competition. Thanks to the doctors and physiotherapists that were available for her. They did an amazing job on her and that is why she was able to do well in the preliminary round.
“For the first round, it was difficult for them to massage nicely because the turnaround time was so close. That is why she had the band to protect the area. It affected her performance. All in all, Asimenye is a strong girl and believed in what she wanted to achieve and making it into the first round was one of the targets. We are proud of her. She has done the nation proud,” Nyasulu said.
Team Malawi chef de mission Naomi Chinatu, who is also Malawi Olympic Committee director, applauded Simwaka.
“She put up a good performance,” Chinatu said.
Meanwhile, the last member of Team Malawi, swimmer Tayamika Chang’anamuno (50 metres freestyle), will compete today at Paris La Defense Arena.
