IN THE NEWS
South African Athletes Making Headlines – BY REGGIE HUFKIE
Two Wins as AJ Returns from Stroke
In a remarkable comeback from a frightening stroke earlier this year at just the age of 33 , AJ Calitz received the go-ahead from his doctors at the very last minute to make the trip to Germany for the international final of the Fisherman ’ s Friend Strongman Run obstacle race on 23 May . The K-Way-sponsored attorney from Cape Town qualified for the final after winning the South African leg in Paarl last October . He then followed up his German title when he won his third Windhoek Light Fish River Ultra 100km in Namibia on 10 June , clocking 8 hours 55 minutes for the course that runs through the world ’ s second-largest river canyon .
Elroy Goes Super-fast at UWC Fast & Flat
Olympic 5000m finalist Elroy Gelant ( Boxer ) won the BestMed UWC Fast and Flat 10km on 3 June in Cape Town in a blisteringly quick 28 minute 18 second solo effort . The South African 5000m record holder went out guns blazing , helping to pull Anthony Timoteus ( UWC ) and Sibusiso Madikizela ( MSA ) to new personal best times of 30:01 and 30:10 respectively . Zintle Xiniwe ( KPMG ) took the women ’ s title in 35:47 , with veteran Bulelwa Simae ( Nedbank ) second and Anel Terblanche ( KPMG ) third .
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Antonio Claims SA Hurdles Record
Olympic 110m hurdler Antonio Alkana broke the South African Record on 5 June at a European Classic Permit Meeting in Prague , Czech Republic . He won the race in 13.11 seconds , cutting 0.13 seconds off Lehann Fourie ’ s 13.24 record , set in 2012 .
Another World Record for Wayde
Olympic and World Champion Wayde van Niekerk once again set the world stage alight in June with three world class performances . Having clocked 19.90 seconds to claim the SA 200m title in Potchefstroom in April , he ran 19.84 at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston , Jamaica on 10 June to break Anaso Jobodwana ’ s SA Record of 19.87 . He went still faster in Slovenia on 20 June when he clocked 9.94 for 100m , taking 0.04 seconds off his previous best and moving himself up to second on the all-time list for SA performances . And then on 28 June he shattered another of Michael Johnson ’ s World Records when he clocked 30.81 for 300m in Ostrava , Czech
ISSUE 96 JULY 2017 / www . modernathlete . co . za
Republic , improving the record by 0.04 seconds . Wayde remains the only man ever to run sub-10 for 100m , sub-20 for 200m and sub-44 for 400m .
Tish Steals the Show at Spar Durban
Cape-based British athlete Tish Jones ( KPMG ) continued her great run of form by winning the Spar Women ’ s 10km Challenge in Durban on 11 June . She broke the tape in a new personal best time of 32:58 seconds , taking 18 seconds off her previous best , and holding off the challenge of series contenders Kesa Molotsane ( KPMG , 33:31 ) and Lebogang Phalula ( Boxer , 33:39 ) respectively . The junior title went to 15-year-old Nicole Louw ( KPMG ) in 35:26 , whilst Bulelwa Simae ( Nedbank , 36:55 ) took the veteran category , Judy Bird ( KPMG , 39:09 ) the masters and Margie Saunders ( Nedbank ) the grandmasters in 43:36 .
Ryan wins Western States 100 Miler
Trail superstar Ryan Sandes finally ticked off one of his biggest bucket list items on 24 June when he won the prestigious Western States 100 Miler in California in the USA . Overcoming thick snow in the early stages and then extremely high temperatures in the later stages , Ryan started conservatively while defending champ Jim Walsley opened an hour ’ s lead while chasing the course record . However , the American ’ s wheels came off in the second half , allowing Ryan to reel him in and take the win in 16:19:39 .
Stephen Claims Seventh 21km Title
Gauteng North ’ s Stephen Mokoka extended his remarkable hold on SA Half Marathon Championship when he won his seventh title in Port Elizabeth on 25 June , coming home in 1:01:21 , followed by great friend and rival Elroy Gelant ( Central North West , 1:01:30 ). The nearest any other male athletes have come to this number of wins at the 21km Champs is three wins , with both Matthews Temane and Hendrik Ramaala having achieved that . ( Colleen De Reuck holds the record for women with five wins .) The women ’ s SA title went to Cornelia Joubert ( Central Gauteng ) in a PB 1:12:31 , to go with her SA Marathon Champs title of 2013 . She actually finished third , but was given the overall win as well as the SA title when Ethiopians Genet Abdurkadi ( 1:11:45 ) and Elisabeth Arsedo ( 1:12:20 ) were disqualified for not wearing licence numbers on the backs of their vests . Second on the podium was Mapaseka Makhanya ( Central Gauteng ), also with a new PB of 1:12:43 .
Images : BackTrackSports , Tobias Ginsberg , Dean Leslie , Ashraf Orrie , IAAF & Jetline Action Photo