NEWS
I n t h e
Compiled by Reggie Hufkie
Comrades Legend Vorster Passes Away
The 1979 Comrades Marathon winner, Piet Vorster, passed away on 13 January in Johannesburg after a courageous battle against motor neuron disease. He was 66 years old. Piet finished the Comrades 14 times, with four gold medals in his collection. He also finished the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon 10 times and ran a marathon best of 2:24:58. In his postcompetitive days, he was well respected for his astute TV commentary work.
Mosiako, Molotsane Win XC Trials
SA 5000m Champion Thabang Mosiako caused another upset when he beat SA Cross Country Champ Precious Mashele in the senior men’ s 10km race at the ASA Cross Country Trials on 20 January in Mangaung. In the women’ s race, Kesa Molotsane added another title to her name, finishing 11 seconds ahead of Glenrose Xaba. The junior women’ s title went to 16-year-old Prudence Sekgadiso, while Pakiso Mthembu clinched the junior men’ s 8km. The trials were held to determine the final selection of a national team for the CAA African Cross Country Championships in Chlef, Algeria on 17 March.
2018 Comrades Almost 1km Longer
The Comrades Marathon Association announced on 26 January that the officially measured distance for this year’ s‘ Down Run’ from Pietermaritzburg to Durban will be 90.184km, making it 884m longer than the last‘ Down Run’ in 2016, which was 89.208km. The race will start at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall and finish at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Trautman Takes Ironman 70.3 Win
Matt Trautman claimed a third consecutive title at the Standard Bank Ironman 70.3 South Africa in East London on 28 January. After taking the lead during the bike leg, he finished in 4:09:18, almost two minutes faster than Belgium’ s Kenneth Vanderdriessche. The second South African home was XTERRA World Champion Bradley Weiss, just 40 seconds shy of the podium in fourth place. In the women’ s race, Jeannie Seymour of the USA secured victory in 4:32:22, ahead of Emma Pallant of Great Britain and Spaniard Judith Vaquera.
Bolt Wows Young SA Athletes
Retired Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt was met by more than a thousand roaring fans when he attended the Puma School of Speed meet at Ruimsig Stadium in Johannesburg on 29 January. Bolt used the appearance to inspire and encourage the school athletes in what was a momentous moment for South African athletics.
SA’ s Commonwealth Team Announced
On 30 January SASCOC announced a 169-member SA team for the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia from 4 to 15 April. Fourteen track and field athletes and five triathletes are included in the team, with Caster Semenya and Luvo Manyonga spearheading the athletics team, while Richard Murray and Henri Schoeman will lead the triathlon charge. Another notable inclusion is World Under-18 High Jump Champion Breyton Poole, who will be part of a senior SA team for the first time.
Marathoner Mokgobu Wins in Japan
Desmond Mokgobu did the country proud when he won the Beppu Oita Marathon on 4 February in Japan, crossing the line in a PB 2:09:31. The South African took the lead with 7km to go, but still had Hayato Sonoda of Japan on his heels as they entered the Oita City Athletics Stadium, but he found the energy to hold the Japanese athlete off and claim the win by three seconds.
Mosiako Victim of Brutal Attack
Fresh from winning the SA Cross Country Trials, Thabang Mosiako’ s future in the sport hangs in the balance after he suffered severe head trauma during what has been described as a racially-motivated attack on the North West University campus in Potchefstroom on 4 February. The SA 5000m Champion was with friends and fellow athletes Rantso Mokopane( SA 3000m Steeplchase Champion) and Sandy Londt, when an altercation with a group of students in a café led to a brutal attack by 10 men outside the café. Mosiako was taken to hospital unconscious, and the extent of his injuries was not yet known at the time of writing.
SA Indoor Records Tumble
In a remarkable run of results, seven SA Indoor Records were improved in the early weeks of the year. In the USA, Ncincilili Titi clocked 20.45 for 200m in Clemson, Dominique Scott-Efurd broke her own 1500m record in Boston, clocking 4:07.25 just a week after setting a new mark in the 3000m of 8:41:18 in New York, and Derrick Mokaleng posted 45.76 in the 400m in Lubbock, just weeks after clocking 46.25 in Albuquerque. Meanwhile, in European meets, Luvo Manyonga celebrated his indoor debut in Paris with a new long jump record of 8:32m, while Carina Horn improved the women’ s 60m sprint record by 0.05 seconds as she clocked 7.10 in Eaubonne, France.
Images: Reg Caldecott, RogerSedres / ImageSA, Tobias Ginsberg and courtesy CMA, Derek Mokaleng, Desmond Mokgobu, Matt Trautmann & PUMA
8 ISSUE 104 MARCH 2018 / www. modernathlete. co. za