By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE-
ZAMBIA’S hopes of minting a another medal at the on-going Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games yesterday dashed after long distance runner Godfrey Chama tumbled in the 800m final race.
Chama’s seventh place finish wrapped up Zambia’s miserable outing at the Games that saw athletes fail to win medals, save for Sydney Siame who won a gold medal in the 100m on Saturday.
The Zambian, who hit his personal best on Friday after timing 1:51.29 minutes to progress to the final, failed to reciprocate that form finishing in distant seventh with the time of 1:52.42 minutes.
Chama, a bronze medallist at the Africa Youth Games could only beat Mousa Yousef of Qatar, who was disqualified.
Myles Marshall of the United States of America (USA) claimed gold after clocking 1:49.14 minutes as Geoffrey Balimumiti of Uganda hit his personal best of 1:49.37 minutes to scoop silver while Ethiopian Morka Mulata timed 1:49.73 minutes.
Mohamed Elamrani of Morocco Ryan Patterson of Australia missed out on the medal bracket finish despite hitting their personal best time of 1:49.99 and 1:50.58 minutes respectively with Switzerland’s Tom Elmer clocking 1:52.35 minutes in sixth position.
Zambia was represented at the games by the hockey 5’s boys and girls teams, judoka Nokutula Banda, swimmer Ralph Goveia and runners Chama, Siame, Brian Kasinda and Abigail Chongo.
