Tah Chikomba
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Tafadzwa Chikomba |
| Born | 2001 (age 24–25) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Long jump |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | Long jump: 8.37 m (2026) 60m: 6.59 s (2026) |
Tafadzwa "Tah" Chikomba (born 2001) is a Zimbabwean long jumper and sprinter based in the United States. Competing for Kansas State University in 2026, he won the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships and set a new NCAA all-conditions record in the long jump.[1]
Biography
[edit]From Chiredzi, he attended Malipati High School prior to being scouted while competing in Zambia and joining Meridian Community College in the United States.[2] After two years at Meridian College he began to compete for Kansas State University.[3]
Chikomba won his first senior Zimbabwean national title the long jump at the 2021 Zimbabwean Championships, held in Harare, with a jump of 7.39 metres.[4] Chikomba placed sixth overall in the long jump in 2024 at his debut African Championships, held in Douala, Cameroon, making a best jump of 7.59 metres and having qualified third best for the final, with 7.48 metres.[5][6][7]
On January 30, 2026, at the DeLoss Dodds Invitational, a World Athletics Bronze-level meeting, Chikomba jumped a 8.09 metres to win the men’s long jump and was subsequently named the Big 12 athlete of the week, the first for Kansas State since 2020.[8] The following month, he placed second in the long jump with 7.59 metres at the Big 12 Indoor Championships and also placed third in the 60 metres, running a personal best 6.59 seconds in Lubbock, Texas to finish behind Malachi Snow and Mason Lawyer in the 60 m.[9][10] The following month, he jumped 8.15 metres to place third at the 2026 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.[11][12]
In May 2026, competing for Kansas State, Chikomba broke the Big 12 Championship record in the men's long jump, jumping 8.27 meters to win the competition by 24 centimetres at the Big 12 Championships, held at the Roy P. Drachman Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.[13][14] Later that month, Chikomba jumped a wind-aided 8.75 meters (+3.2 m/s), to break the collegiate all-conditions best in the men's long jump at the NCAA West Regionals in Fayetteville, surpassing the previous all-conditions best by 1 cm, previously held by Erick Walder.[15] In June, he won the men's long jump title at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a wind-legal lifetime best jump of 8.37 metres.[16][17]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Tafadzwa Chikomba". World Athletics. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "Chikomba looks into the future with hope". Herald Online. July 6, 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ Clark, Sydney (May 25, 2026). "K-State long jumper Tah Chikomba joins K-Nation". aol.com. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "Zimbabwean championship". World Athletics. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "Zimbabwean Long Jumper Chikomba Seeks Olympic Qualification in Douala Final". Herald Online. June 22, 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "African championship". World Athletics. 21 June 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "Coach Tumba rallies athletics team". Herald Online. June 18, 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "Chikomba breaks new ground at Kansas State University". Zim Sport Live. February 8, 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championship". World Athletics. 27 Feb 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "Big 12 Indoor Track & Field Championship". World Athletics. 27 Feb 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "CHIKOMBA SOARS TO SEASON'S BEST JUMP". Herald Online. 18 March 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships". World Athletics. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "TAFADZWA CHIKOMBA SOARS TO BIG 12 LONG JUMP RECORD TO GIVE KANSAS STATE A LIFT". Dye Stat. 16 May 2026. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
- ↑ "Chikomba is going to 2027 World Athletics Championships". 3-mob.com. 18 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "NCAA WEST: TAFADZWA CHIKOMBA JUMPS COLLEGIATE ALL-CONDTIONS BEST ON DAY 1". Dye Stat. 28 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "HABTOM SAMUEL OVERCOMES SIDE STITCH, RETURNS TO TOP OF THE NCAA PODIUM IN THE 10,000 METERS". Dyestat. 11 June 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
- ↑ "TAFADZWA CHIKOMBA CHAMPION MEN'S LONG JUMP - NCAA D1 OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2026". Dye Stat. 10 June 2026. Retrieved 11 June 2026.