Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 104, March 2018

World Stars in SA for Athletix Grand Prix Series Justin Gatlin T he Liquid Telecom Athletix Grand Prix Series is shaping up to be a big highlight of the South African Track and Field season in 2018, with top athletes from all over the world coming to race and test themselves against the best of South Africa. This includes Olympic and World Champion sprinter Justin Gatlin of the USA, the biggest international name to compete on South African soil since Michael Johnson in 2001, and his presence shows that global champions once again see South Africa as a top player in world athletics. With Liquid Telecom signing on as title sponsor and PUMA coming in as the official footwear and apparel partner of the 2018 Athletix Grand Prix Series, the three meetings will take place in Johannesburg (Thursday 1 March), Tshwane (Thursday 8 March) and Paarl (Thursday 22 March). The meetings will have a tight programme of 90 minutes and the explosive action and entertainment will have SA athletics fans on their edges of their seats. 2018 will be a busy year once again for South Africa’s athletes and the path to showing off South African skills and depth starts here at the 2018 Athletix Grand Prix Series, and with a total prize purse of R1,365,000, the action will no doubt be on fire! Joshua Cheptegei World’s Best in Action Just some of the highlights that athletics fans can look forward to at the meets include: • Olympic and three-time World Champion Justin Gatlin, the fifth-fastest man ever over both the 100m and 200m, will line up in the men’s 150m race at the second meeting. The 150m is a non-traditional event in athletics and will be of great interest to athletics fans and athletes alike. Akani Simbine Tickets for the Liquid Telecom Athletix Grand Prix Series are on sale at www.webtickets.co.za, and can also be purchased at the gate of each event. • Thursday 1 March – Ruimsig Stadium, Johannesburg, Gauteng • Thursday 8 March – Tuks Stadium, Tshwane, Gauteng • Thursday 22 March – Dal Josaphat Stadium, Paarl, Western Cape Caster Semenya • Current World Championship 10,000m silver medallist Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda will compete in the 1500m at the first meeting, looking to continue his success on SA soil after winning the inaugural FNB Durban 10K CITYSURFRUN in October last year in the fourth fastest time in the world in 2017 for 10km of 27:28. He will also run in the second meet, in the 3000m. • The fastest man in Africa with a PB of 9.89 seconds for the 100m, Akani Simbine, will start his season at the second meet on his home track at the University of Pretoria, where he has run three of his fastest 100m times and his best 200m time. • South Africa’s double Olympic and triple World Champion in the 800m, Caster Semenya, will toe the line in the 1000m for the first time. This distance is rarely run on the track, and will be a highlight of the second meeting as she may very well chase the South African record of 2:37.2, set by Ilse de Kock Wicksell way back in 1983. • The 200m at the first meeting boasts a loaded line-up that will include South Africa’s 2015 World Champs 200m bronze medallist Anaso Jobodwana, World Junior 300m record holder Clarence Munyai, and 2017 World Youth 200m Champion Retshidisitswe Mlenga, who will face off with America’s 2014 World Junior 200m Champion Trentavis Friday and his training partner Justin Walker. Anaso Jobodwana Retshidisitswe Mlenga 29

Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 104, March 2018 | Page 29