African Discus Throw record holder Elizna Naude (© Mark Ouma)
South Africa’s Elizna Naude qualified for the World Athletics Championship as Pieter de Villiers, Sherwin Vries and Khotso Mokoena impressed at the Yellow Pages Ultimate Athletics Meet in Secunda, South Africa on Friday (26).
After running their premier track and field series without a sponsor for two years, Athletics South Africa has secured a three year deal with South African telephone directory service, Yellow Pages. As a result athletes who achieve the ‘A’ qualifying standard for IAAF World Championship earn Rand 10,000 (USD 1370). A further Rands 30,000 (USD 4110) goes to anyone who set a national record.
In the wake of these incentives, the athletes did not disappoint. African record holder Elizna Naude became the first to earn the Rand 10,000 bonus when she threw the discus to a distance of 62.66 metres.
“My plan was to get the issue of qualifying for Osaka out of the way early. Now I will polish up my throwing technique at the next five meets in the series. As long as I am healthy, I will better my Africa record (63.17m) at the national championships in March.” says a confident Naude.
On the track, Pieter de Villiers returned to the limelight in the 400m hurdles thriller. He breezed past the race leader Alwyn Myburgh on the home straight to clinch victory in a promising time of 49.25. Myburgh (49.71), Pieter Koekemoer (50.01) and Mozambique’s Kurt Couto (51.57) followed in that order.
“It a great relief that I am back in top flight athletics after recovering from my groin injury I sustained during the Commonwealth Games last year. This year I aim to run several races under the 49 seconds mark,” De Villiers revealed.
Meanwhile Africa Triple Jump and Long Jump silver medallist Khotso Mokoena signalled that he was in fine shape with a leap of 16.75 metres in Triple Jump. “This is really a warm up for my campaign on the European Indoor Circuit. I start in Finland next week and will proceed to France. I plan to compete in both jumps throughout the season. At this stage I am not sure which one will bring the greater rewards,” Mokoena confessed.
Sprinter Sherwin Vries pulled off a successful double clocking 10.29 and 20.62 seconds in the 100m and 200m respectively. Although he narrowly missed the Osaka “A’ standard qualifier he is unfazed. “What I need most at this stage is to keep winning my races. I want to establish and sustain a high level of competition fitness. If I do this the fast times will come,” Vries assured.
Several notable performances came through in the women’s events. Shot putter Simone du Toit (16.55), 100m hurdler Janice Joseph (13.76), 800m runner Lebogang Phalula (2:07.76) and Estie Wittstock in the 200 (23.91) eached vowed to achieve the Osaka qualifiers soon.
Mark Ouma for the IAAF
SELECTED RESULTS
WAC - denotes qualified ‘A’ Standard for IAAF World Championships
PB - denotes personal best
NWR - denotes No Wind Reading
Note: All Athletes are South Africans unless otherwise mentioned.
MEN
100m A (+1.2)
1. Sherwin Vries 10.29
2. Hannes Dreyer 10.44
3. Christiaan Krone 10.46
100m B (1.2)
1. Brendon Clement 10.42
2. Michael Koch 10.68
3. Francois Maasdorp 10.70
200m A (NWR)
1. Sherwin Vries 20.62
2. Sergio Mullins 21.09
3. Hannes Dreyer 21.16
200m B (+0.6)
1. Ruben Majola 21.37
2. Ernest Hattingh 21.45
3. Francois Maasdorp 21.58
200m C (NWR)
1. Matibidi Thabo 21.39
2. Hitjivirur Kaanjuka (Namibia) 21.59
3. Chris Vijoen 21.71
110m Hurdles (+0.2)
1. Ruan de Vries 13.79
2. Frikkie van Zyl 13.89
3. Gustav Kukkuk 13.98
400m Hurdles
1. Pieter de Villiers 49.25
2. Alwyn Myburgh 49.71
3. Pieter Koekemoer 50.01
4. Kurt Couto (Mozambique) 51.57
800m
1. Juan van Deventer 1:48.88
2. Tshamano Setone 1:49.27 PB
3. Reuben Ramolefi 1:49.53 PB
3000m
1. Isaac Mbuyaza 8:14.41
2. Stephen Mokoka 8:15.32
3. Marcel Luther 8:17.45
Triple Jump
1. Khotso Mokoena (+0.8) 16.75
2. Jason Sewayana (NWR) 16.03
3. Roger Haitengi (NWR) 15.71
Discus
1. Frantz Kruger 58.81
2. Wynand Coetzee 52.36
3. Jan (JP) Hoffman 48.77
WOMEN
100m (+1.2)
1. Cindy Stewart 11.82
2. Michelle Andrew 11.92
3. Thandi Mngwevu 11.98
200m (+0.6)
1. Estie Wittstock 23.91
2. Michelle Andrew 24.40
3. Thandi Mngwevu 24.63
100m Hurdles (+0.9)
1. Janice Josephs 13.76
2. Laura Molenaar (Holland) 13.85
3. Sune Labuschagne 14.08
400m Hurdles
1. Amanda Kotze 59.60
2. Mariska Meintjies 1:00.36
3. Licinda Liebenberg 1:00.63
800m
1. Lebogang Phalula 2:07.76
2. Tsholofelo Selemane 2:08.09
3. Mandie Brandt 2:10.88
3000m
1. Rene Kalmer 9:24.79
2. Tebogo Masehla 9:45.33
3. Nicolene van Rooyen 9:50.33
Long Jump
1. Charlene Henning 6.09 (+1.0)
2. Lindi van Dyk 5.55(NWR)
Shot Put
1. Simone du Toit 16.55
2. Bianca van Rooyen 13.28
3. Henriette van Loggenberg 12.36
Discus
1. Elizna Naude 62.66 WAC
2. Simone du Toit 49.09
3. Maryke Oberholzer 45.92
