SAYS sport man says by MANFRED SEIDLER
SPORT MAN
SAYS sport man says by MANFRED SEIDLER
These days it seems every year brings a major event to look forward to on the athletics calendar , and in 2024 , there are good , better , great , and exceptional . Of course , it ’ s an Olympic year , and that ’ s going to be the big one . I think all athletics lovers look forward to the Olympics , and we can expect Paris to put on quite a show at the beginning of August . Not only will performances be top notch , but the whole spectacle and set-up of the Games will be something special . As always , the sprints will be a highlight in Paris , and for starters , I cannot wait to see how the Jamaicans deal with the American ‘ upstart ’ Sha ’ Carri Richardson .
Bumper Year Ahead
Having covered the sport of athletics at various levels for more than 30 years , I wait in anticipation each year for the global and national calendars to be published , so that I can plan what to look out for in the year . Here are my picks for the likely highlights of 2024 !
I cannot wait to see how the marathon unfolds in Paris . Will we see a battle royale between Eliud Kipchoge and Kelvin Kiptum , Can we expect fireworks from Ruth Chepngetich , Sifan Hassan and Tigst Assefa ? And how will our South African athletes fare ? Gerda Steyn and Irvette van Zyl have qualified in the women ’ s race , Cian Oldknow is about to make her international marathon debut on 18 February in Seville . If she cracks the 2:26:50 required , or any other SA woman , it will be the first time South Africa fields a full women ’ s marathon team at the Olympics . Amongst the men , only Stephen Mokoka has qualified thus far , so we expect the Durban International Marathon on 28 February to be loaded with the best of South Africa ’ s men chasing that Olympic Qualifier .
On The Road
Back home , I am really keen to see what the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series brings to the party again . Each year , this 10km series attracts some of the best athletes from around the world to compete against the South Africans , and the results have led to a remarkable improvement in local performances , particularly on the men ’ s side . We now have five men breaking 28 minutes in the 10km ( two of whom have also gone sub-60 in the half marathon ), with a couple more looking set to break through soon as well .
The Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon is expected to be another huge battle between Gerda Steyn and Irvette van Zyl , while the country ’ s best ultra-runners are working feverishly to break the stranglehold of the Nedbank Running Club ’ s Rustenburg crew on Comrades . With this year ’ s Comrades being the first Up Run since 2019 , the permutations are intriguing .
On the international front , three of the six World Marathon Majors – Tokyo ( 3 March ), Boston ( 15 April ) and London ( 21 April ) – will be vying for the big names before the Olympics , but all the faster marathons from February to April will feature loaded fields , as athletes chase an Olympic qualifier . So , Seville ( 18 February ), Hamburg ( 28 April ), Hannover ( 14 April ), Paris ( 7 April ) and Vienna ( 21 April ) will all be expecting deep fields .
On the Track
Once again , there is a busy season ahead , with 14 Diamond League meets starting in
The Paris Olympics will dominate the season , from qualification to the actual Games in July-August
Will the 2024 World Cross Country Champs once again humble even the strongest athletes ?
April and going all the way through to September , with nine before and five after the Olympics . We can probably expect fewer head-to-heads early in the season , as athletes will be looking to save their best for the Olympics , but as we get closer to the Games , the athletes will be looking to sharpen up , and results will start to improve dramatically .
Here in South Africa , there are three ASA Grand Prix Meetings – Potchefstroom ( 14 March ), Pretoria ( 18 March ), Johannesburg ( 24 March ) – and two Cape Milers Club events ( 12 and 15 April ). Many of our middle-distance athletes will look to qualify for the Olympics at the Cape events , just as they did last year vying for World Champs qualification – and who can forget the phenomenal race between Ryan Mphahlele and Tshepo Tshite in the 1500m ?
In Cross Country
We also have the World Cross Country Championships this year , in Belgrade , Serbia . I really fell in love with cross country after watching the great Paul Tergat run rampant at the 1996 World Cross Country Championships in Stellenbosch , defeating that other great , Haile Gebrsellassie . Cross country is pure , hard racing – no pacemakers , no stop watches , just flat-out , no holds barred , hardcore racing . And if you recall how some of the best athletes in the world were humbled in Bathurst , Australia at the last World Champs , you ’ ll understand why cross country is such a great part of our sport !
These are just some of the major events I am looking forward to in 2024 , but the packed calendar has something for every athletics fan , so get ready for a bumper athletics season .
About the Author
Manfred Seidler is a freelance sport journalist who has been in the industry since 1994 , in both print media and broadcasting , covering four Olympic Games for SABC Radio , and producing various athletics shows for the SABC . Follow him on Twitter : @ sportmansa ; Facebook : Sport Man SA ; Instagram : sportman _ sa .
Images : Cameron Spencer / Getty Images for World Athletics & courtesy Olympics . com
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