Mark Ouma for the IAAF
14 February 2000 – Holland’s Lauren Looije (pole vault) and Lithuanian Virgilius Alekna (discus) were in qualifying form, as several South African underdogs emerged winners at the ABSA meeting in Potchefstroom, South Africa.
A winning vault of 5.60 metres, enabled Looije to qualify for the European Indoor Championships. Riaan Botha was runner up in 5.20m, ahead of compatriot Fanie Jacobs who cleared 4.80m.
"This was my last chance to qualify for the European championships later this month (25-27 February) in Gent, Belgium. I am glad that l achieved our Federation’s qualifier of 5.60m," said Looije.
"My strategy of training and competing in South Africa has paid off. Back home, we no longer have facilities to vault indoors during winter. In fact, our national championships last weekend were contested in Belgium.
"After the indoor season, l feel l can improve on my career best of 5.71 and meet our federation’s Olympics qualifier of 5.75. This year l aim to improve our national record of 5.76m," said Looije who is Holland’s pole vault champion.
The discus event was as exciting as expected as a different athlete has won the event at each of the four meetings in the ABSA series. In Potchefstroom, Virgilius Alekna had an emphatic victory with a throw of 67.02m.
"My main goal in Sydney will be to do better than my fourth place at last year’s World Championships. I certainly expect to throw better than the 67.53 l achieved in Seville," said Alekna.
Runner up Frits Potgieter (South Africa) threw 63.90m to surpass the Olympic qualifier by 40 centimetres. Estonian Alexander Tammert and Russia’s Alexander Borischvski who have qualified for the Olympics in earlier meetings were third and fourth in 63.45 and 62.17 respectively.
The biggest upset of the meeting came in the 400m hurdles where Hennie Botha beat the 1997 World Championship silver medallist Llewellyn Herbert. Spurred on by the home crowd, he won the race in 49.02. Herbert was second in 49.22, while Vladislav Shiriaev (Russia) and Namibian Willie Smit followed with times of 49.48 and 50.18 respectively.
"With the crowd to give me their support, l was not going to lose in my hometown. However make no mistake, Llewellyn is a fine athlete and even if l won tonight, he can come back and win tomorrow. The season is long and many things can happen," said Botha.
"He was the better athlete tonight and l congratulate him on winning. I am glad that l will have company at major world competitions this year," said Herbert.
Heide Seyerling turned the tables on Russia’s Olga Kotlyarova to win the women’s 400m in a career best of 50.91. Her previous best was 51.33.
Kotlyarova was second in 51.45, ahead Nigeria’s Rita Onyabuchi and Tina Paulino (Mozambique) who clocked 53.22 and 53.97 respectively.
Africa Junior champion Mbuireni Mulaudzi (South Africa) upstaged a classy field that included 1999 World Indoor Champion Johan Botha, to win the 800m in a personal best of 1:46.63.
This was a marked improvement on his previous record of 1:47.94 achieved ten days ago in Bloemfontein. His more experienced compatriots, Shaun Abrahams and Gideon van Oudtshoorn took the minor positions with times of 1:46.83 and 1:46.85 respectively.
A vastly improved Dikeledi Moropane (South Africa) edged national champion Wendy Hartman in the women’s 100m. Although they were given an identical time of 11.39 seconds, Moropane was declared the winner. She improves on her previous best of 11.61 set ten days ago.
Johan Vosloo (South Africa) got the better of Austria’s Gregor Hogler to win the javelin with 80.54. The Austrian came second with 78.98, while Johannes van Eck (South Africa) was third with 77.06.
LEADING RESULTS
Note: All the athletes are South Africans unless otherwise indicated.
MEN
100m 1 Matthew Quinn 10.33 2 Nnamdi Anusim (NGR) 10.34 3 Morne Nagel 10.44 4 Jean-Francis
Ngapout (CMR) 10.51
200m 1 Morne Nagel 20.87 2 Lee-Roy Newton 20.97 3 Josef van der Linde 21.05 4 Nnamdi
Anusim (NGR) 21.06
400m A 1 Marcus la Grange 45.42 2 Arnaud Malherbe 46.24 3 Lukas Richter 46.51
400m B 1 Gary Kikaya 47.12 2 Louis Rehrl 47.78 3 Moses Aphane 48.28
800m A 1 Mbuireni Mulaudzi 1:46.63 PB 2
Shaum Abrahams 1:46.83 3 Gideon van Oudtshoorn 1:46.85 4 Werner Botha 1:47.55 5 Graham
Davidson 1:47.70 6 Tony Whiteman (GBR) 1:47.717 Johan Botha 1.48.18
800m B 1 Jurgens Kotze 1:48.80 2 Meyer Kotze 1:49.68 3 Christo Boshoff 1:49.74
110m Hurdles 1 Shaun Bownes 13.61 2 Paul Delicado 14.36 3 Francois du Toit 14.50
400m Hurdles A 1 Hennie Botha 49.02 PB 2 Llewellyn Herbert 49.22 3 Vladislav Shiriaev
(RUS) 49.48 4 Willie Smit (NAM) 50.18
400m Hurdles B 1 Willem Romijn 51.27 2 Ockert Cilliers 51.56 3 Juan Pretorius 53.20
3000m 1 Fred Cheriuyot (Kenya) 7:58.01 2 Aaron Gabonewe 7:59.01 3 Shadrack Hoff 8:00.99
Pole Vault 1 Lauren Looije (NED) 5.60 2 Riaan Botha 5.20 3 Fanie Jacobs
4.80
Javelin 1 Johan Vosloo 80.54 2 Gregor Hogler (AUS) 78.98 3 Johannes van Eck 77.06
Discus 1 Virgilius Alexna (LIT) 67.02 2 Frits Potgieter 63.90 3 Alexander Tammert (EST)
63.45 4 Alexander Borischevski (RUS) 62.17
WOMEN
100m 1 Dikeledi Moropane 11.39 2 Wendy Hartman 11.39 3 Rita Onyebuchi (NGR) 11.75
200m 1 Wendy Hartman 23.09 2 Surita Febbraio 23.47 3 Anel van Niekerk 23.82
400m 1 Heide Seyerling 50.91 PB 2 Olga Kotlyarova (RUS) 51.45 3 Rita Onyebuchi (NGR) 53.22
4 Tina Paulino (MOZ) 53.97
400m Hurdles A 1 Surita Febbraio 55.32 (PB) 2 Yulia Nosova (RUS) 56.70 3 Kerryn van Zyl
57.83
400m Hurdles B 1 Lana van Heerden 58.54
1500m 1 Ronel Thomas 4:22.13 2 Julia Sakara (ZIM) 4:22.65 3 Lwiza John (TAN) 4:22.87
High Jump 1 Hestrie Cloete 1.85 2 Marisca Gertenbach 1.80 3 Nicolize Steyn 1.75
Javelin 1 Rhona Dwinger 55.78 2 Tanja Tessner 52.27 3 Marna Dippernaar 45.88
Discus 1 Elizna Naude 53.79 2 Nkiru Ojiego (Nigeria) 52.43 3 Lizelle Duvenage 50.51
