Reuben Ramolefi (orange vest) in Nelson Mandela Bay (© Mark Ouma)
Nelson Mandela Bay, South AfricaLong jumper Janice Josephs qualified for the World Athletics Championships at the Yellow Pages Series Meet in Nelson Mandela Bay (formerly Port Elizabeth) South Africa on Friday (20).
In a country where middle and long distance runners place a high premium on racing at low altitude, a new crop of winners emerged signalling strong potential to earn their tickets to the World Championship in Berlin.
Josephs eying 7m
Josephs progressed from an opening jump of 5.88 to 6.50 in her third effort before the all-important final leap of 6.75m. It is her second best performance ever-after the 6.79m effort at the 2007 All Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria.
“My focus was achieving the A standard qualifier for Berlin. The no jumps indicate I have to work on my technique. With a bit more speed on my run up, I hope to crack the seven metres barrier this season,” Josephs predicts.
Comfortable victory for Ramolefi in Steeplechase
Reuben Ramolefi looked a man with a mission when he took the lead right from the start of the 3000m steeplechase. Newcomers Joseph McKenzie and Skhumbuso Seme tracked Ramolefi until half way through the race. The trio ran an average of 64 seconds for every lap. At 2000m Seme began to fade. Although Ramolefi had also shook off McKenzie when he started the last lap he too seemed a victim of the ambitious earlier pace.
Nevertheless Ramolefi won in 8:27.98. Runner up McKenzie (8:43.52) clocked a career best ahead of Seme (8:46.98). “The times will come. What I need is someone to push the pace especially in the last two laps,” Ramolefi concedes.
Newcomer Pieter van der Westhuizen (3:43.66) prevailed on the home straight in a tactical 1500m. Andre Olivier (1:47.00) won the 800m as Olebogang Masire (13:41.45) had a superb finish in the 5000m. Lebo Phalula (4:14.16) led throughout the women’s 1500m. Perhaps the happiest of the new breed of winners is Pieter Smith. His 400m time of 45.96 seconds is a career best albeit a hundredth of a second shy of the B qualifying mark for the Berlin.
Locals dash to sprints doubles
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University students, Leigh Julius and Cindy Stewart took advantage of their home ground to win the men’s and women’s 100m and 200m in their fast times this year. Julius clocked 10.47 and 20.85. “My qualifying for the World championships in 200m is imminent. With stronger opponents I should make the grade soon,” says Julius.
Stewart who has been nursing as a hamstring injury for a fortnight, stopped the clock in 11.84 (100m) and 24.27 (200m). “My goal was to win both events and come away feeling the hamstring injury is a thing of the past. Now I look forwards to running faster in the remaining two meets of the series,” says Stewart.
Elsewhere
In his first competition this year Hannes Hopley won the discus with a 62.36 effort- 14 centimetres shy of the B qualifier. “I did not expect to throw so far so soon after coming off a six week period of heavy weight training. Hopefully I will make the A qualifying standard soon,” says Hopley.
Elsewhere Janus Roberts was a cut above the rest with his 19.55m heave of the shot put. “I am a bit disappointed I did not clear 20m. Next week in Stellenbosch, my training ground, I look forwards to breaking the 20m barriers,” Robberts assured.
Mark Ouma for the IAAF
