Juan van Deventer (RSA) (© Mark Ouma)
A brilliant finish by Juan van Deventer in the 1500 metres at the final ABSA Series meeting in Kings Park Athletics Stadium yesterday (7 March) confirmed that South Africa may have found an answer to its lack of quality and depth in this event. Elsewhere, Khotso Mokoena proved he can hold his own against the best triple jumpers in Africa, and in the process bettered the South African junior Triple Jump record.
Van Deventer, Graham Davidson, and Johan Pretorius treated spectators to the most thrilling competition of the meeting in the 1500m. An aggressive front-runner, Pretorius led the field through the first 300 metres in just under 38 seconds. Davidson and Van Deventer responded by closing his lead after 700 metres was reached, and bunched together, the trio covered 1100m in 2:43 minutes.
As the athletes picked up the pace, Davidson surged ahead with 250 metres to go. Then taking advantage of his longer stride Van Deventer brought the cheering spectators to their feet, snatching the lead with barely 30 metres to go to the finish, winning the race in 3:38.87. Van Deventer improved his personal best from 3:42.10 achieved three weeks ago at the ABSA meeting in Stellenbosch.
Davidson was runner up in 3:38.95, an improvement from 3:42:37 run in Stellenbosch. Third placed Pretorius clocked 3:39.17. He chipped off 1.95 seconds of his previous best achieved in Cape Town last year. Warren Frey (3:42.43) and Francois Pretorius (3:44.27) who finished fourth and fifth, also set their personal best.
“Our aim is to achieve Athletics South Africa’s (ASA) qualifying mark for the World Championships of 3:34 here at home,” Pretorius declared.
“We need pacemakers to help achieve this. ASA challenged us to run decent times. We have done that. Hopefully, they will return the favour,” said Van Deventer.
“It is not good to let Pretorius do all the work. That way he will always come up short. I think we can still better our times during the domestic season if our event is included in the Engen series,” said Graham.
Earlier on, Burkina Faso’s Africa Triple Jump champion Olivier Sanon, won in 16.46, while Togolese Didier Tchalla (16.08) was third. Their presence in the competition inspired Khotso Mokoena to crown a week of competition by improving his South African Junior Triple Jump record with a leap of 16.18. He had started the ABSA series back in January in Ekhurleni with a record jump of 16.12.
“I had two national schools competition this week and I did not expect to do so well. After missing last week’s meeting in Port Elizabeth, I was not going to slip up on this rare opportunity to compete against the best on the continent,” said Mokoena who turned 18-years-old last Monday.
Competing in his only 400m Hurdles race of the ABSA series, Olympic bronze medallist Llewellyn Herbert had to muster all his experience to edge the consistent Ockert Cilliers and Ter de Villiers. Herbert was timed 49.76, while Cillier and De Villiers clocked 49.83 and 49.88, respectively.
In the 3000m Steeplechase, Sivuyile Dlongwana (8:34.44) outpaced Alexander Motone (8:35.45), who had beaten him two weeks ago in Stellenbosch. Antony Godongwana (8:53.31), Sylvester Mohalakane (8:55.19), Mandla Maseko (8:57.95) and Sandile Lembetha (8:59.51) followed in that order,
Olympic finalists Heide Seyerling-Quinn (51.91), held off the challenge from Surita Febrraio (52.43) and Senegal’s Fatima Bintou Fall (53.01) to win the women’s 400m.
Russian Valentina Ivanova crowned her winning streak in the ABSA series with a throw of 60.30m in the women’s Discus. Elizna Naude 56.90 held on to second place. While India’s Neelam Singh (54.54) and Harwant Kaur (52.34) produced their best performances of the six-leg series.
Olympic bronze medallist Frantz Kruger (62.43) was in a class of his own in the men’s Discus.
Women’s World High Jump champion Hestrie Cloete easily won her event, clearing the bar at 1.90.
Hendrick Ramaala (13:43.12) was a comfortable winner in the men’s 5000m. Taking advantage of the quick pace, runner up Vincent Kutoane improved his personal best with a 13:47.47 effort.
Sherwin Vries (10.38) was a clear winner in the men’s 100metres, while in the women’s 100m Geraldine Pillay (11.67) brought to an end Janice Josephs’ (10.76) unbeaten run in the ABSA series. Wendy Seeger (11.69) was placed third in a photo finish.
Mark Ouma for the IAAF
SELECTED RESULTS
Note: All athletes are South African unless otherwise mentioned. SR denotes series record NR denotes national record AR denotes Africa record PB denotes personals best
MEN
100m (-1.7)
1 Sherwin Vries 10.38
2 Mathew Quinn 10.54
3 Clinton Venter 10.61
100m B (-1.0)
1 Dean Wick 10.78
2 Maqhawe Maseko (Swaziland) 10.93
3 Justin Green 10.98
400m
1 Paul Gorries 46.23
2 Jopie van Oudtshoorn 46.93
3 Shaine Morrison 47.13
400m Hurdles
1 Llewellyn Herbert 49.76
2 Ockert Cilliers 49.83
3 Ter de Villiers 49.88
1500m
1 Juan van Deventer 3:38.87 PB
2 Graham Davidson 3:38.95 PB
3 Johan Pretorius 3:39.17 PB
4 Warren Frey 3:42.43 PB
5 Francois Pretorius 3:44.27 PB
3000m Steeplechase
1 Sivuyile Dlongwana 8:34.44
2 Alexander Motone 8:35.45
3 Antony Godongwana 8:53.31
4 Sylvester Mohalakane 8:55.19
5 Mandla Maseko 8:57.95
6 Sandile Lembetha 8:59.51 PB
5000m
1 Hendrik Ramaala 13:43.12
2 Vincent Kutoane 13:47.47 PB 49.21
3 Samuel Sekompi 13:49.90
4 Enoch Skosana 13.53.02
5 Ruben Ramolefi 13:53.12 PB
Triple Jump
1 Oliver Sanon (Burkina Faso) 16.46 (+1.4)
2 Khotso Mokoena 16.18 (+1.4)
South African Junior Record
3 Didier Tchalla (Togo) 16.08 (+0.9)
Javelin
1 Hardus Piennar 76.23
2 Frans Human 69.27
3 Gerbrandt Grobler 68.89
Discus
1 Frantz Kruger 62.43
2 Johannes van Wyk 58.05
3 Gareth Brown 41.76
Hammer
1 Chris Harmse 74.56
2 Riaan Smit 65.60
3 Johan Harmse 56.65
4x100m
1 ABSA Team 39.51
2 ASA Invitational 40.30
3 Invitational Select 41.13
WOMEN
100m (-0.4)
1 Geraldine Pillay 11.67
2 Janice Josephs 11.68
3 Wendy Seegers 11.69
400m
1 Heide Seyerling-Quinn 51.91
2 Surita Febrraio 52.43
3 Fatima Bintou Fall (Senegal) 53.01
1500m
1 Rene Kalmer 4:14.37
2 Marlene Breytenbach 4:15.67
3 Irvette van Blerk 4:17.49 PB
High Jump
1 Hestrie Cloete 1.90
2 Merizca Gertenbach 1.85
3 Anika Smit 1.80
Discus
1 Valentina Ivanova (Russia) 60.30
2 Elizna Naude 56.90
3 Neelam Singh (India) 54.54
4 Harwant Kaur (India) 52.34
4x100m
1 ABSA Team 44.59
