2023 PREVIEW
Akani Simbine
July last year , becoming the first South African to go under 28 minutes on home soil , and judging by that run , it would appear he is more likely to hit the 13:07 required time for the 5000m than the 3:34.20 for the 1500m . Championships tend to be more tactical , and fast times are unlikely in the rarefied air of Potchefstoom , but Chaumeton is an aggressive frontrunner and has matured immensely .
More Qualifiers Sought
After a wonderful 2022 season in the women ’ s 800m , Prudence Sekgodiso may opt to run the 1500m for now , or even the 5000m . That ’ s because she will be building up to the international season and looking to be in prime 800m shape later in the season , when she will aim to hit the qualifying standard of 1:59.80 for the World Championships , and to be in the best possible shape come August . Her goal is to make the finals of the 800m at the global showpiece .
This year , ASA has three Grand Prix meets on its domestic calendar , and all three are part of the World Athletics Continental Tour , but all three are at altitude – to save organisational costs . The first is on 12 April at Pilditch Stadium , then 19 April on the new Germiston track , followed by the 26 April meet in Potchefstroom . By that time of year , the evenings are starting to get cold , especially in Germiston , which may affect the sprints .
Unfortunately , given that these events are all at altitude , the middle distances will suffer , but to combat this , the Cape Milers Club and Endurocad are jointly hosting three events in Cape Town on 14 , 17 and 24 April , specifically to give the middle-distance athletes a chance to qualify for the World Championships . Interesting is that these events , at the time of writing , do not feature on the ASA Calendar , but do appear on the World Athletics Continental Tour Calendar .
In Search of Diamonds
Most athletes will be striving to get on to the Diamond League ( DL ) circuit , as it is the most lucrative series , and has a higher prestige compared to the Continental Tour . Competing in the DL is the pinnacle in the world of athletics , after the World Championships and the Olympic Games . Meanwhile , the Continental Tour is divided into three categories – Bronze , Silver and Gold – and the differences are reflected mainly in the prize money , media and broadcast requirements , and the amount of athletes per event from different regions .
The Diamond League is going to deliver another |
incredible season of athletics , especially as we near |
the World Championships in Budapest in late August |
and the athletes work up to hitting top form . The DL |
programme will follow this schedule : |
May 5 |
Doha , Qatar |
May 28 |
Rabat , Morocco |
June 2 |
Rome , Italy |
June 9 |
Paris , France |
June 15 |
Oslo , Norway |
June 30 |
Lausanne , Switzerland |
July 2 |
Stockholm , Sweden |
July 16 |
Chorzow , Poland |
July 23 |
London , Great Britain |
July 29 |
Shanghai , China |
August 3 |
Shenzhen , China |
August 31 Zurich , Switzerland |
September 8 |
Brussels , Belgium |
September 16-17 |
Eugene , Oregon , USA |
Off to the World Champs
Without a doubt , the World Championships will be
Maxime Chaumeton the highlight of the season . Budapest in August is generally sunny and warm , and the city has a reputation for delivering first class athletics events – so much so , that the city is seriously considering hosting the 2036 Olympic Games .
The duels we can expect will be much the same that we see in the Diamond League , but with a much higher intensity , especially for South Africa ’ s Akani Simbine . He did not have the best of seasons in 2022 , by his high standards , and Budapest now takes on mammoth proportions for the 29-year-old . He has finished fifth , fourth and fifth in the last three editions of the World Championships , and fifth ( 2016 ) and fourth ( 2021 ) in the Olympics , so he will be desperate to get onto the podium in Budapest .
It will be interesting to see just how Simbini and his fellow South African athletes structure their year in order to qualify for and get to Budapest in prime competitive form . It is a long season for South African athletes , who start competing earlier in the year than many of their counterparts , and the qualification standards for the World Championships are also pretty stringent . This could well have an impact on the size of Team South Africa as they chase qualification .
Qualification Challenges
World Athletics is looking for specific numbers to fill the lanes and fields at the World Championships . While first prize is a qualifying standard , in all likelihood the stringent qualification standards may see events filled through athletes qualifying on ranking points . Even so , looking at the qualifying standards , it is clear that South Africa will battle to field any athletes in some events .
In the Women ’ s 100m , only Carina Horn hit the World Championships qualifying mark of 11.08 in 2022 , clocking 11.07 in Spain in June last year . On the men ’ s front , based on last year ’ s times , only Akani Simbine would qualify with his 9.97 , but SA does have more athletes who are capable of hitting that 10-second qualifying mark . Gift Leotlela has a best of 9.94 , run in 2021 , and if full fit , he should be able to make the team . A fully fit Clarence Munyai , too , as his PB of 10.04 is just 4 / 100th off the required standard – and he ran that time in 2022 .
In the 200m , Luxolo Adams has a PB of 19.82 , which he ran in qualifying for the 2022 World Championships . His pedigree is such that he should be able comfortably manage the required
20.16 , as should Wayde van Niekerk , should he choose to double in the 200m and 400m . Unfortunately , our best women in the 200m are a long way off : Mirande Coetzee ran the fastest in South Africa in 2022 , clocking 22.99 , but needs 22.60 . She also had the fastest 400m time with 51.50 , but that is also half a second shy of the qualifying standard .
In the men ’ s 400m , Wayde van
Prudence Sekgodiso
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