Hestrie Cloete wins in Madrid (© Getty Images)
Athletics South Africa have announced their provisional selections for the 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Paris, France, 23-31 August 2003.
The team is lead by defending women’s World High Jump champion Hestrie Cloete, who took the Commonwealth Games and African Championships golds last summer, before ending her season on a 2.02m winning high when beating Sweden's Kajsa Bergqvist to the IAAF World Cup title in Madrid last September.
Olympic bronze medal 400m hurdler Llewellyn Herbert is the main name in the men's squad. However, despite his extensive competitive pedigree, Herbert who is also African champion is presently by no means the best South African one lap hurdler. The likes of Ockert Cilliers (48.61), World Junior champion Louis Van Zyl (48.89) and Marnus Kritzinger (48.92), who have all beaten Herbert in South Africa this year, have also been provisionally selected for the Paris team, and of course one of these four athletes will eventually have to be dropped when the final three team places are decided.
1999 World and 1996 Olympic 800 metres silver medallist Hezekiel Sepeng is the biggest omission from the provisional squad, having achieved the qualifying standard but having not competed during the South African domestic season.
"Hezekiel has not met all our criteria, although he has run the qualifying standard," said Athletics South Africa chief executive Banele Sindani. "I don't know if he will be selected at a later stage, it depends on the selectors and what happens between now and then."
Men:
100m
Sherwin Vries
200m
Mornè Nagel
400m
Marcus La Grange
Paul Gorries
800m
Mbulaeni Mulaudzi
110m Hurdles
Shaun Bownes
3000m Steeplechase
Sivuyile Dlongwana
Alexander Motone
400m Hurdles
Ockert Cilliers
Marnus Kritzinger
Llewellyn Herbert
Louis Van Zyl
Pole Vault
Okkert Brits
Shot
Janus Robberts
Discus
Frantz Kruger
Women
100m
Geraldine Pillay
400m
Heide Seyerling
400m Hurdles
Surita Febbraio
High Jump
Hestrie Cloete
