SUPERSPORT SIMBINE CLASSIC DELIVERS IN PRETORIA
The first-ever SuperSport Simbine Classic blazed onto the South African athletics calendar on 28 April, bringing together some of the country’ s top athletes alongside a strong contingent of international competitors in front of a buzzing crowd at Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria.
It was a memorable night for the man behind the meet, Akani Simbine, who ran a sub-10 time in the 100m for the 12 th straight year, easily winning his heat in 9.98 seconds. Unfortunately he was unable to replicate that in the final, pulling up early with a cramp in the cool conditions as Cameroon’ s Emmanuel Eseme stormed to victory in 10.03 seconds.
But Simbine had achieved his goal, attracting international athletes to the first-ever World Athletics Continental Tour meet in South Africa with silver status, giving him plenty to build on in the future.
Another highlight of the evening was American Cambrea Sturgis taking the women’ s 100m title in a speedy 10.92 seconds.
From a South African perspective, there were also breakthrough performances from Marlie Viljoen, who set a new South African record in the rarely contested 300m, finishing third behind Kenyan Mercy Oketch( 35.77) and American Kenondra Davis( 35.81). Prudence Sekgodiso got the better of Karabo More, who beat her at the recent National Championships, by winning the 1500m in a new personal best of 4:08.93.
Zambia’ s Commonwealth Games champion Muzala Samukonga was fastest in the men’ s 300m in 31.38 seconds with Lythe Pillay second in 31.58. 18-year-old Leendert Koekemoer was eighth in that event, but earlier in the day in the pre-programme, he dipped under 45 seconds in the 400m for the first time, not only achieving the required qualification mark for the World Athletics U20 Championships later in the year, but also breaking his own national under-20 record with a time of 44.94 seconds.
Photos courtesy of Erin Groll, Anton Geyser, Roelien Geyser
32 www. modernathlete. co. za