| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Zimbabwe |
| Born | 20 December 2001 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Sprint |
| College team | Auburn Tigers |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 100m: 10.15 (Austin, 2023) 200m: 19.92 (Lexington, 2025) |
Makanakaishe Charamba (born 20 December 2001) is a Zimbabwean sprinter. He reached the final of the 200 metres at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. [1]
From Harare, Zimbabwe he went to high school at Kutama College, where his principal focus was initially on playing rugby and hockey. [2] He later attended Hillcrest College. He was the Confederation of School Sport of Southern Africa (COSSASA) 100m champion in 2018, Manicaland provincial 100m and 200m champion from 2018 to 2020. [3] Makanaka’s father is George Charamba who is the current Press Secretary for the President of Zimbabwe.
At Carson-Newman University, he was named the 2022 SAC Men’s Track & Field Freshman of the Year and the 2022 SAC Outdoor Championship Athlete of the Meet in May 2022. [4] In his freshman year he ran a school record 200 metres time of 20.41 seconds at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and he was named the USTFCCCA Southeast Region Male Track Athlete of the Year. [5] The following year he won the men's 100 metres and 200 metres titles in wind-assisted times of 10.02 and 20.19 seconds at the NCAA Division 2 Championships in Pueblo, Colorado. [6]
He transferred to Auburn University. [7] In May 2024, he met the qualifying standard for the 2024 Paris Olympics after running 20 seconds flat in the 200m final at the Southeastern Conference championship in Florida. [8] Later that month he lowered his 200 metres personal best to 19.95 seconds in Lexington, Kentucky. [9] He finished fifth at the 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships 200 metres in Eugene, Oregon in 20.20 seconds. [10]
He competed in the 200m at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he reached the final, placing eighth overall. [11] [12]
He finished runner-up at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships 200 metres in Virginia Beach, running a time of 20.16 seconds on 15 March 2025. [13]
He set a new personal best for the 200 metres of 19.92 seconds for the 200 metres in the preliminary round of the SEC Championships in May 2025, finishing runner-up in the final to Jordan Anthony. [14] In June 2025, he was also runner-up at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships over 200 metres in Eugene, Oregon running a time of 19.92 seconds to finish behind compatriot and fellow fellow Olympian Tapiwanashe Makarawu. [15] He ran 19.99 seconds to place third at the 2025 Herculis event in Monaco, part of the 2025 Diamond League, behind Olympic champions Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo. [16]
