Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 122, September 2019 | Page 51

TRACK & FIELD
Clarence Munyai
the Aspetar Sports Medicine Hospital in Doha, where
he has been undergoing rehabilitation.
Derick Mokaleng and Thapelo Phora have gone
under the B-Standard of ASA of 45.30, with 45.17 and
45.19 respectively. As this 45.30 B-Standard is also
the IAAF A Standard, both would be eligible to make
the journey to Qatar, but both will need to be at their
best to make the semi-finals.
The Middle Distances
800m: No Caster Semenya in the women’s 800m.
That is a definite medal loss, as she was untouchable
in this event. In the men’s race, Tshepo Tshite
ran 1:44.69 in March this year, but has since then
struggled to get under 1:46. He has run 11 races in
Europe since May, and on only two occasions has he
broken 1:46. That will not be good enough to make a
final. Unfortunately, no South African has come near
qualifying in either the men’s or women’s 1500m.
improvement on her previous best of 15:04.14 run
in 2018, but it was only good enough for 15th in
that race. Granted, eight of the top nine finishers
were from Kenya and a country can only send three
athletes to the World Champs per event, but with
three Kenyans and three Ethiopians already in the mix,
a medal will be incredibly tough for the South African.
The Hurdles
110m Hurdles: Antonio Alkana has qualified for the
World Championships with his season’s best of 13.30,
run on 6 June, but if he wants to make the finals,
never mind earn a medal, he will need to come close
to, if not go better, then his SA Record of 13.11. He
is currently ranked 13th in the world and certainly
has the potential to make a final, but he will need to
improve dramatically.
once, placed third on three occasions, and fifth on
one occasion. He will need to find that sub-20 form
again, though, if he is to have any hope of a medal
in Doha. Also, junior Sinesipho Dlamini should be
in the team with his 20.32, and at just 17, ASA may
want to take him to Doha to gain experience, but to
expect anything more than a semi-final showing from
him would be grossly unfair. No women come into
contention for the team in the 200m, as none have
been able to meet even the B-Standard of 23.02.
400m: Double World Champion, Olympic Champion
and World Record Holder Wayde van Niekerk will
unfortunately not be on the start line in Doha. He
has not been able to race since his 47.28 outing in
Bloemfontein in February, following ongoing problems
with his knee ligaments, which he damaged in a charity
rugby match last year. He withdrew from competing at
the National Championships in April as a precaution,
and then withdrew from the Diamond League in
London in July after suffering a bone bruise to his knee.
Wayde made the final call to withdraw from the World
Championships – as the defending champion he had a
wild card entry – after advice from his medical team at
5000m & 10,000m: Our only qualifier in these events
is Dominique Scott-Efurd on the women’s front,
and no male athletes have made the qualification
standards. Dominique broke 15 minutes for the first
time in the 5000m on 21 July in London, a fantastic
400m Hurdles: In the men’s long hurdles,
Sokwakhana ‘Soks’ Zazini leads the South African
2019 ranking lists with his 48.73, while Lindsey
Hanekom’s PB of 48.81 came in Germiston in April
this year, when he won the National Championships
title. Both have qualified under the IAAF Standard of
49.30, but the ASA Standard is 48.50. Chances are
that ASA will send both, as they both have a chance
of getting into the finals, but to win a medal will
require a huge improvement from them.
Dominique Scott-Efurd
Wayde van Niekerk
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