Robert Oosthuizen after his 86.80m PB in Oudtshoorn (© Mark Ouma)
Oudtshoorn, South AfricaWorld Junior javelin champion Robert Oosthuizen stole the limelight at the penultimate Yellow Pages Series meet in Oudtshoorn, South Africa on Saturday (1 Mar).
Efforts by 100m and 200m sprinters to achieve the Beijing Olympic A qualifying standard suffered a setback as they ran against a strong headwind on the home straight.
Oosthuizen adds 2m+ to career best
Oosthuizen, 21, set the meeting alight with an opening throw of 86.80m. This new lifetime best is an improvement on the 84.52 from the World Championships in Osaka last year. With a lack of competitors to push him, the subsequent throws were 77.17, 80.81, 81.51, 79.63, and 81.73. Oosthuizen is now South Africa’s third best javelin thrower after former World Champion Marius Corbett (88.75) and Tom Petranoff (87.25).
“Having already qualified for Beijing, I just came out here to throw just over 82m. That I achieved much more was surely a bonus. Now I will aim to sustain this form,” says a delighted Oosthuizen.
Final Valencia prep for Mulaudzi, Samaria
Meanwhile 800m runners Agnes Samaria of Namibia (2:04.11) and Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (1:46.13) wrapped their build up for World Indoor Championship in Valencia, Spain, next week with convincing victories.
“I felt comfortable all the way. This gives me confidence that I can fare better than I did at my last World Indoor Championships in Budapest (Hungary, 2004) where I was edged out in the first heat,” says Samaria.
Mulaudzi has an even harder task ahead. “After winning a gold medal in 2004 and a silver in 2006, there is a lot expected of me in Valencia. This win gives me valuable competition fitness before I go and face the best in the world,” says Mulaudzi.
Headwind hinders the sprints
Elsewhere home girl Isabel le Roux outclassed her opponents in the 200m covering the distance in 24.15 seconds against a headwind of more than four meters per second. She was glad to win the race in front of her family and friends.
“This is where I grew up and it is wonderful to come here and win. There was a strong wind on the home straight which prevented us from running fast times. I expect better results when I run on the track I train on in Tshwane next week,” says Le Roux.
Her training partner Hannes Dreyer prevailed in the 100m (10.54) and 200m (21.05) to take the men’s sprint double. However he too had to contend with the massive headwind on the home straight.
“I take heart that I emerged a clear winner. Next week in Tshwane we compete on the track on which we train at the high performance Centre in Tshwane. That’s home ground for me and I expect to run pretty fast,” says Dreyer.
Mozambique’s Kurt Couto (50.67) upstaged race favorite Louis van Zyl (51.28) in the men’s 400m Hurdles. “I started out well until the sixth hurdle. The wind affected my speed on the home straight. Nonetheless I am feeling strong and should run a sub-50 soon,” says Couto.
Although she prevailed in the women’s high jump Anika Smit (1.85) was not satisfied with her wining clearance of 1.85m. “My jumping technique is letting me down. I need to improve on my take off to clear 1.90m,” says Smit.
Mark Ouma for the IAAF
SELECTED RESULTS -
MEN -
100m (-2.0) -
1. Hannes Dreyer 10.54
200m (-4.1) -
1. Hannes Dreyer 21.05
400m hurdles
Kurt Couto (Mozambique) 50.67
800m -
1. Mbulaeni Mulaudzi 1:46.13
Long Jump -
1. Yaw Fosu-Amoah 7.97 (+2.9)
Javelin -
1. Robert Oosthuizen 86.80 PB/OLY A
Shot Put -
1. Janus Robbert 18.87
WOMEN -
100m (-0.6) -
1Thandi Vilakazi 11.97
200m (-4.4) -
1 Isabel le Roux 24.15
800m -
1 Agnes Samaria (Namibia) 2:04.11
High Jump -
1 Anika Smit 1.85
