Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 158 May 2023 | Page 49

Double the Gold Haul
With many of the finals rained out on the second day , there were two impressive doubles completed on the final day of competition , with Miranda Coetzee claiming both the women ’ s 400m and 200m titles just a few hours apart , while Prudence Sekgodiso successfully defended her women ’ s 800m and 1500m titles .
Coetzee claimed both her gold medals in personal best times , securing 400m honours in 51.04 and the 200m in 22.74 . “ I just had to fix my mindset . That ’ s the only thing that I had to do there . I came here with a goal because normally I write them down , so I told God that I ’ m going to come back with two gold medals , and that ’ s what I did , so I ’ m just so thankful ,” she said . Asked which event she will focus on going forward , Coetzee said , “ I don ’ t know yet . I think I ’ m falling in love with the 400m , but then the 200m is also working out for me , so I don ’ t know . Maybe both .”
Marione Fourie was unbeatable in the women ’ s 100m hurdles
Antonio Alkana once again took the men ’ s 110m high hurdles title
TRACK & FIELD
clearance of 2.25m to secure his first national title since 2016 . “ It feels totally amazing . I can ’ t even describe what it means to me . I had so many injuries and struggles since 2019 , so it feels really good to be back at it and get the result and reward for all my hard work ,” he said .
Sekgodiso claimed the 1500m in a time of 4:17.22 and followed that up with the 800m victory in 2:03.92 . “ I came here knowing I was going to do the double , so the only thing that I came here for was to defend both my titles , and also to run sub-2:05 in the 800m . So , I did that , and I ’ m over the moon ,” she said . a sub-13 in the beginning , and now I ’ m running it at SA ’ s , so I ’ m more than happy ,” said the 20-year-old .
Meanwhile , a far less publicised comeback was completed by high jumper Keegan Fourie . The 31-year-old badly injured his neck in 2019 when the backboard of a basketball hoop fell on his head , but having finally recovered fully , Fourie managed a
Back from injury , Keegan Fourie was ecstatic at winning the men ’ s high jump
Your 2023 SA Champions
These are all the winners of the various titles on offer at the SA Senior Track & Field Championships in Potchefstroom . Only two athletes were able to claim more than one individual title , with Miranda Coetzee claiming the women ’ s 200m and 400m titles , while Prudence Sekgodisa took line honours in the women ’ s 800m and 1500m events . Gauteng North claimed four of the five relay titles on offer .
MEN ’ S CHAMPION EVENT WOMEN ’ S CHAMPION MEN ’ S CHAMPION EVENT WOMEN ’ S CHAMPION
SPRINTS FIELD EVENTS - JUMPS
Akani Simbine ( Central Gauteng ) – 10.14
Armand van der Walt ( Gauteng North ) – 20.50
100m
200m
Carina Horn ( Central Gauteng ) – 11.52
Miranda Coetzee ( North West North ) – 22.74
Cheswill Johnson ( Central Gauteng ) – 7.95m
David Layton ( Boland ) – 16.92m
Long Jump
Triple Jump
Danielle Nolte ( Gauteng North ) – 6.31m
Zinzi Xulu ( Gauteng North ) – 13.21m
Images : Ruben Gouws , Cecilia van Bers
Prudence Sekgodiso doubled in the women ’ s 800m and 1500m races
Hurdlers Getting Closer
Coming within touching distance of World Championships qualifying times were the country ’ s top sprint hurdlers , Antonio Alkana and Marioné Fourie . Alkana claimed an eighth national men ’ s 110m hurdles title in a time of 13.32 , falling just short of the required 13.28 after hitting several hurdles on his way to the finish . He admitted afterwards , “ I ’ m really not disappointed . I would love to have got the qualifying time here , just to get it off my shoulders , but today was just dirty . I had a much better race in the heats . I think if it was a clean final , I would have got it , so I know what ’ s in the legs , I just have to execute .”
Fourie ’ s was a much cleaner race as she claimed her third national 100m hurdles title in a time of 12.98 , but fell short of her target of the 12.81 SA Record . “ There needs to be perfection in order to run the SA Record … I was hoping for it here , but I ’ m not disappointed about the time . Last year , I couldn ’ t run
Wayde van Niekerk ( Boland ) – 44.17
Antonio Alkana ( Western Province ) – 13.38
Sokhwakhana Zazini ( Gauteng North ) – 48.95
Gauteng North A – 39.88
Gauteng North A – 3:06.90
Gauteng North A – 3:28.32
Edmund Du Plessis ( Gauteng North ) – 1:47.19
Tshepo Tsite ( Gauteng North ) – 3:46.78
Maxime Chaumeton ( Central Gauteng ) – 13:46.40
Andries Sesedi ( Central Gauteng ) – 29:52.19
Ashley Smith ( Western Province ) – 8:52.23
400m
HURDLES
110m H / 100m H
400m H
RELAYS
4x100m Relay
4x400m Relay
4x400m Mixed Relay
Miranda Coetzee ( North West North ) – 51:04
Marione Fourie ( Gauteng North ) – 12.98
Zeney van der Walt ( Gauteng North ) – 54.82
Central North West – 45.50
Gauteng North A – 3:33.68
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MIDDLE DISTANCES
800m
1500m
5000m
Prudence Sekgodisa ( Gauteng North ) – 2:03.92
Prudence Sekgodisa ( Gauteng North ) – 4:17.22
Kyla Jacobs ( Western Province ) – 15:59.12
10,000m Glenrose Xaba ( Gauteng North ) - 33:02.13
3000m SC
Phemelo Matshaba ( Gauteng North ) – 11:02.53
Keegan Fourie ( Boland ) – 2.25m
Valco van Wyk ( Central North West ) – 5.20m
Burger Lambrechts ( Central North West ) – 20.30m
Victor Hogan ( Boland ) – 62.01m
Waldouw Smit ( Central North West ) – 74.59m
Tshepang Makhethe ( Free State ) – 69.42m
Frederiech Pretorius ( Gauteng North ) – 1047 pts
High Jump
Pole Vault
FIELD EVENTS - THROWS
Shot Put
Discus
Javelin
Hammer Throw
COMBINED EVENTS
Decathlon
--- Heptathlon
Sizwe Ndebele ( Gauteng North ) – 1:31:42
RACE WAKING
20km Walk
Michelle Ngozo ( Gauteng North ) – 1.80m
Sydney Rothman ( Boland ) – 3.80m
Ashley Erasmus ( Mpumalanga ) – 16.85m
Yolandi Stander ( Free State ) – 57.48m
Jo-Ane van Dyk ( Central North West ) – 60.97m
Leandri Geel ( Central Gauteng ) – 65.18m
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Shannon Verster ( Gauteng North ) – 879 pts
Jessica Groenewald ( Central North West ) – 1:53:22
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