IN THE NEWS
South African Athletes Making Headlines – BY REGGIE HUFKIE
Olympians Shine at Student Champs
Olympic Champ Wayde van Niekerk( Kovsies) was the talk of the USSA Championships in Cape Town on the last weekend of April. After winning the 400m with seemingly minimal effort in 46.28 seconds on day one, he clocked a world-class 20.10 in the 200m final to be crowned South African Student Champion for the second time in two days. Even more impressive was fellow Olympic champ Caster Semenya( Pukke), who secured four gold medals. She stopped the clock on 51.84 in the women’ s 400m, managed a 2:00.90 in the 800m and posted 4:16.87 in the 1500m. She then also helped her varsity team secure a 4x400m relay gold. Another star performer was Rantso Mokopane( Pukke), who bagged three medals, winning both the men’ s 1500m and 3000m steeplechase on day one and securing a silver medal in the 5000m on day two.
Big Wins for Akani & Caster in Doha
South African record holders Akani Simbine( men’ s 100m) and Caster Semenya( women’ s 800m) started their international season on a high note with wins in the Doha leg of the Diamond League series in Qatar on 5 May. Caster posted a very fast 1:56.61 to beat Kenya’ s Margaret Wambui, while Akani confirmed his rise to world class level by crushing an exceptionally strong field to win the men’ s 100m in 9.9 seconds. Asafa Powell of Jamaica finished second in 10.08 seconds, but pre-race favourites Justin Gatlin of the USA and Canadian Andre de Grasse were unable to finish on the podium.
Dominique Chasing Second Qualifier
US-based Dominique Scott-Efurd continued her fine run of form as she improved her personal best for 5000m by half a second to stop the clock on 15:24.60 at the Payton Jordan Invitational in Palo Alto on 7 May. Having already qualified last year for the 10,000m at the IAAF World
Kesa Wins Spar Women’ s PE
KPMG’ s Kesa Molotsane of KPMG went one better when she won the second leg of the Spar Women’ s Challenge in Port Elizabeth on 6 May. She narrowly finished second to Louisa Leballo in the Cape Town leg on 2 April, but this time outran Irvette van Zyl( Nedbank) to win in a fine 33:13. Irvette had to settle for second in PE in 33:21, having finished third in Cape Town, and Mapaseka Makhanya claimed third in PE to go with her sixth position in the first leg.
Championships in London in August this year, she is still three seconds away from the 5000m qualifying standard, but will be looking to go still faster this season and qualify for both events in London.
Luvo Breaks Diamond League Record
Olympic Long Jump silver medallist Luvo Manyonga continued his record-breaking streak when he leapt 8.61 metres at the Shanghai leg of the Diamond League in China on 13 May. His winning leap narrowly missed his own African and SA record of 8.65m, set in April, but still became the longest jump ever recorded in the prestigious Diamond League.
Fastest Ever 12km in Cape Town
Kenya’ s Morris Gachaga Munene sped home majestically in the FNB Cape Town 12 ONERUN on 21 May to cross the finish line for the fastest 12km ever run in the world. His 33:27 broke the previous World Best time of 33:31, held jointly by his countrymen Joseph Kimani and Sammy Kiprop Kitwara.( The ONERUN has a point-to-point route and therefore cannot be considered for official World Records.) In the women’ s race, Briton Tish Jones, better known as a marathoner these days, shocked all the 10km specialists to take the title in 39:50, 78 seconds ahead of SA’ s Nolene Conrad.
ASA Names Junior & Youth Squads
A 44-member preparation squad for the African Junior Championships was announced by Athletics South Africa in May. The Champs will take place in Tlemcen, Algeria between 29 June and 2 July. This squad includes the 2016 IAAF World Under-20 Championships silver medallist Gift Leotlela as well as his sprinting training mate Clarence Munyai, meaning that both the SA 100m and 200m junior record holders are in the squad, along with other leading male juniors such as George Kusche, Thando Dlodlo and Linford Maree. The equally strong women’ s group includes the likes of Armoure le Roux, Taylon Bieldt, Simonay Weitsz and Simone van der Nest.
Meanwhile, with the depth of South African youth athletes the‘ highest’ it has been in years, Athletics South Africa also announced a national preparation squad for the IAAF World under-18 Championships, taking place in Nairobi, Kenya between 12 and 16 July. Retshiditswe Mlenga, Sokwakhana Zazini and Breyton Poole will lead the boys’ group, while Rose Xeyi, Nicole Louw, Shanley Koekemoer and Meike Strydom are part of the girls’ contingent.
Images: Reg Caldecott, Tobias Ginsberg, IAAF & Courtesy Dominique Scott-Efurd
10 ISSUE 95 JUNE 2017 / www. modernathlete. co. za