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Fresh faces and familiar winners feature on day 2 of SA champs

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Fresh faces and familiar winners feature on day 2 of SA champs

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Zeney Geldenhuys cruised to a fifth national 400m hurdles title on the second day of the SA Senior Track and Field Championships in Potchefstroom on Friday. 

With fellow Olympic semifinalist Rogail Joseph ruled out with a hamstring injury, Geldenhuys had no trouble in securing the gold, taking the win in 55.09 seconds. Rising star Tumi Ramokgopa was second in 55.90 – dipping under 56 seconds for the first time before returning to the track a few hours later for her heat of the 100m hurdles, which she won comfortably in 13.67 seconds.

“Today was about defending my title and I’m very happy with the first place,” said Zeney. “And the time is not bad as well, so that means the sub-55 and sub-54 is coming closer each race and I’m very excited about that.”

Tumi gave credit to Zeney for her best time ever.

“She was the one I was chasing,” explained the matric student. “My gratitude goes to her, if it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I would have run such a good time. She pushed me really hard. She’s one of my role models and I really appreciate running with her.”

While Zeney is a regular on top of the podium, one man making his way there for the first time was an athlete six years her senior, Sabelo Dhlamini.

The 30-year-old was thrilled to secure the men’s 400m hurdles title in a 48.57 seconds – taking .17 of a second off his previous best and missing out on the automatic qualifying mark for the world championships by just .07 of a second.

“I feel exhausted, but I’m very happy, very jubilant I’d say, because we’ve been putting in so many hours. I think I’ve been chasing this title for the last four years,” he said afterwards.

Also claiming a first-ever national title was 2017 U18 world champion Breyton Poole. He secured the men’s high jump gold on countback from Tshepang Dankuru with a clearance of 2.20m with Brian Raats and Mpho Links sharing the bronze on 2.15m.

“Today wasn’t about height, it was about getting that title and I think most importantly working hard towards the end. Countbacks proved to be the decider, so I think it was a good competition all round, I’m happy with it,” said an elated Breyton afterwards.

“It took me seven years to get here, but it was worth the wait.”

There was also plenty to celebrate for 17-year-old Leendert Koekemoer, who set a new SA under-20 record in the 400m. He finished second in his semifinal behind Gardeo Isaacs in 45.03 to better the previous mark set by Riaan Dempers 31 years ago.

“I didn’t expect that at all,” he admitted afterwards. “I knew it was in me, but I didn’t think it could have been today. But ja, I’m quite glad about it.”

There was no fairytale return to the national championships for 2017 world champion Luvo Manyonga who has battled his way back from drug addiction and a doping ban. He finished sixth in the men’s long jump final with a best leap of 7.68m. Instead, it was Jovan van Vuuren, who has made a comeback of his own from a career-threatening injury, who reclaimed the title he last won in 2022 with a leap of 8.00m.

“It’s special, especially missing out last year with the national championships with the injury, so bouncing back now and reclaiming my title, it’s special for me,” said Jovan afterwards, also paying tribute to his rival on his return.

“I’m glad he’s back, especially with young athletes looking up to Luvo. These guys we’re jumping against now got inspired by Luvo. So to jump against your role model it’s special… You know he’s got the capabilities of jumping big jumps and I think we’ll be back and jumping eight [metres] in no time.”

Earlier in the day, there was heartbreak for Gift Leotlela after pulling up in the heats of the 200m. Having secured the 100m title on Thursday, the newly crowned champion reportedly suffered a muscle tweak and should be back in action soon. 

From spectator to potential Olympian: Wayde’s sister Kayla is poised for Paris

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on From spectator to potential Olympian: Wayde’s sister Kayla is poised for Paris

By Karien Jonckheere

Kayla Swarts was just 13 years old when she sat trackside as her brother, Wayde van Niekerk, stormed to a new 400m world record on his way to Olympic gold in Rio.

Little could she imagine that eight years later she’d be on the brink of becoming an Olympian herself as part of the South African women’s hockey team.

The final squad for the Paris Games is yet to be announced but the 21-year-old is very much in the mix for selection.

“It would honestly be a dream come true, to represent my country and family at the biggest sporting event in history,” Swarts told Modern Athlete. “The fact that I’ll be sharing this moment with my brother would just make it so much more special.

“Thinking back to the moment of watching him in Rio set the 400m world record and seeing the joy on his and my parents’ faces and what that made me feel made me realise that this is a moment that I’d strive to experience one day,” she added.

Speaking more about that moment in Rio when Van Niekerk stunned his rivals from lane eight by taking the gold in 43.03 seconds, Swarts added: “When my brother broke the record I was in the stadium right across the finish line. The moment felt so surreal. I kept watching the clock because he just kept going faster and faster. I thought: is my brother really about to break the record? We were all so proud of him.”

While Van Niekerk will be back on the track at the Stade de France in Paris, looking to complete a triumphant comeback after a tough few years, Swarts will hopefully be making her mark at the Yves du Manoir hockey stadium some 10km away.

Preparations with the team are on track, with the South Africans feeling positive about the mammoth task ahead. “We’ve just spent six weeks training and playing a few practice matches in India and China. This period has been a massive step in the right direction for the team, not only physically but mentally as well.

“We spent a lot of time working with Kate Wright, a sport psychologist, to focus on individual and team strengths and culture which is something I think will be a huge asset for us at the Olympic Games.”

Van Niekerk has also shared a fair bit of advice with his younger sister.

“My brother always emphasises enjoying the sport, finding the joy and beauty in every opportunity I get to represent my country because your sporting career is limited.

“He also advises me to be present and not get stuck on what didn’t work out. The way we see it is that there is no failure in sport – some days it’s your turn to win, some days it’s someone else’s turn, that’s sport. Losing is simply just a building block towards success, it’s an opportunity to evaluate where you can be better and learn from that.

“He’s played an integral role in helping me prepare physically and mentally for the Olympics… Competing at the highest level can often get lonely and hard but knowing that I’ve got someone in my corner who’s overcoming similar obstacles and battles, who’s already been to two Olympic Games and shares advice is truly a blessing and not something many people are privileged to have.”

The SA side will come up against Australia, Argentina, Great Britain, Spain and the United States in the group stage of the Olympic hockey tournament in Paris which runs from 27 July to 9 August.

Glenrose takes care of unfinished business as SA athletics champs kick off in Maritzburg

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Glenrose takes care of unfinished business as SA athletics champs kick off in Maritzburg

Glenrose Xaba finally has her hands on a national 5000m title. The 29-year-old has claimed gold six times before in the 10,000m but never in the shorter of the distance events on the track. On day one of the SA Athletics Championships in Pietermaritzburg, Xaba ensured that record would finally change as she staved off the challenge of middle distance star Prudence Sekgodiso to win in a time of 15:48.44 with Sekgodiso second in 16:02.04. By Karien Jonckheere

“I’m not the [type of] person that when I’m running I’m looking back,” said Xaba of taking on Sekgodiso. “I was expecting that I would see Prudence passing me, but I was going to challenge her to the finish line because I was looking forward to achieving this gold medal. For so many years I tried to win gold in the 5000 and I did not. I just came second or got bronze so I am very excited to achieve this.”

In the only other track final of the day, national 10,000m record holder Adriaan Wildschutt’s older brother, Nadeel, claimed the gold in a time of 29:15.93. The 27-year-old was locked in battle with Puseletso Mofokeng over the final lap, eventually sprinting down the home straight to take the title with Mofokeng second in 29:19.01.

In the field events, Michelle Ngozo took gold in the high jump with a clearance of 1.76m and Rocco van Rooyen claimed the men’s javelin title (74.58m), while there was gold for Ashley Erasmus in the women’s shot put (17.27m) and Yolandi Stander in the discus (55m).

Earlier in the day, Akani Simbine continued his quest for a sixth national title in the 100m, cruising through his heat in 10.07 seconds and then slowing down slightly as the wind picked up in the early afternoon but still comfortably winning his semifinal in 10.27.

“The plan was to go sub-10 now because it’s hot and it’s the middle of the day, the track has been prepared and everything but the wind didn’t play with us,” said the two-time Olympic finalist after his semi. “As soon as they blew the whistle there was a big gust and it just kept going, it didn’t stop so it was literally changing the game plan at the line,” he added.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Viwe Jingqi is in search of her first senior national title over 100m. She won her semifinal in 11.51 and was pleased with how her body felt, having recovered from appendix surgery and other complications last year.

“Yoh, you can see I’m very small, and that wind – I could feel it. The whole time it was just pushing me behind but honestly, I’m OK,” said Jingqi afterwards. “My body is responding now. Obviously in the morning you have to cruise when it’s heats – you cannot go full-out, and I tried to get the extra gear this time but the wind was just doing whatever. But to be honest, I feel OK. My body is getting there. It’s exactly where I want it to be actually.”

Athletics action continues at Msunduzi Stadium on Friday, with both 100m finals scheduled for the afternoon.

 

Simbine and Tshite secure semifinal spots while throwers fall short

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Simbine and Tshite secure semifinal spots while throwers fall short

Akani Simbine got his World Championships campaign off to a speedy start in Budapest, Hungary on Saturday night, winning his 100m heat in a time of 9.97 seconds. The two-time Olympic finalist is bidding to break his major championship medal drought and become the first African athlete to claim the world title.

All our World Championship coverage is proudly fuelled by PUMA South Africa.

Fellow South African Benjamin Richardson just missed out on reaching the semifinals by a few thousandths of a second. Only the top three in each heat and the three fastest losers progressed. The 19-year-old finished fourth in his heat in 10.17 but two other athletes, Nigerian Usheoritse Itsekiri and Iran’s Hassan Taftian also recorded times of 10.17. When taking the thousands of a second into account, it was Itsekiri who progressed.

“I’m really happy to get that first run out the way, get the win out the way, and just feeling the track,” said Simbine afterwards. “It’s my first time inside the stadium today. Just running and winning and trusting my running pattern, and trusting how I race, and trusting the shape that I’m in, you know it’s paying off.” 

Speaking about South Africa’s chances in the 4x100m relay, Simbine added: “The relay really looks good, everybody must just stay healthy. Benji [Richardson] is young, you know he’s got a good career ahead, he’s going to have a good career like this. I’m looking forward to the relay, looking forward to fighting for the medal that’s also been missing for the longest time, so we shall see.”

Earlier in the evening Tshepo Tshite qualified for the semifinals of the 1500m after finishing second in the slowest heat of the night in 3:46.79. While Ryan Mphahlele ran a much quicker time of 3:39.16 in his heat to finish 10th, new World Athletics rules for the longer distances meant he missed out as only the top six in each heat progressed to the next round.

“The race was tactical but remember, this year the criteria have changed. It’s not all about how fast you run, it’s all about making sure that you’re in the top six. I think that was the reason the race was tactical,” explained Tshite.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s throwers struggled on Saturday with Olympic finalist Kyle Blignaut (18.82m) and Burger Lamprechts (19.52m) failing to qualify for the shot put final while Victor Hogan fell short in discus qualification, his 61.80m effort seeing him finishing in 27th place.

Watch Day One's Highlights

Four Runners Break Sub 4 Minute Miles!

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Four Runners Break Sub 4 Minute Miles!

In celebration of Global Running Day which took place on 1 June,  Under Armour hosted the UA ALL OUT MILE grand finale event which saw hundreds of athletes including elite athletes, novice runners, top club runners, celebs, sports personalities and the general public going all out to take on the ‘1 Mile Run’ around the iconic Green Point Athletics Track.

For the 2nd consecutive year Under Armour hosted its popular Global UA ALL OUT MILE campaign, where runners from across the world have been lacing up and training to record their PB over the iconic 1 mile (1,6 km) distance. The campaign kicked off in May and concluded on Global Running day with  14 events hosted in key territories across the Globe with Cape Town playing host to the South African leg.

With an impressive exhibition of running on display, an unprecedented total of 4 elite athletes managed to break the sub-4 minute barrier with Justin  Kemboi from Kenya crossing the finish line with a time of 03:59.02  to take top prize as the winner in the Men’s Elite category.

20-year-old South African favourite Prudence Sekgodiso blistered through the field to secure bragging rights as the fastest in the Women’s Elite race with a time of 04:43.17. Other notable runners on the night included: Blitzbokke Captain Shakes Siviwe Soyizwapi, South African professional boxer and IBO cruiserweight champion Kevin Lerena as well as  Stormers outside centre Ruhan Nel.

The Mile, much like the 100 meters and the marathon is still widely considered one of the most iconic distances and the pinnacle of athletic excellence. The first sub-4-minute mile was smashed in 1954 by Roger Bannister. His time of 3:59.4 has since been broken by over 1600 athletes worldwide. Two unmatched records still stand today in the ladies’ and men’s categories. The men’s world record stands at 3:43.13, set by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco in 1999 while the women’s record sits at 4:12.33 held by Olympic sensation Sifan Hassan, set in July 2019.

However, the mile isn’t only for a  ‘pro’ or Olympic athlete, it’s the ideal fitness distance for runners looking to test their speed and endurance, regardless of age or ability. UA recognised the massive appeal that the distance holds and wanted to create a campaign that would challenge runners and encourage them to reach their best.

Commenting on a very successful event, Under Armour South Africa MD Darren Cooke says, “It has been amazing to see the ALL OUT MILE  campaign come to life, particularly here in SA. Those in attendance were treated to a superb display of running with many setting new PBs.  It has been an honour to host some of the top elite middle-distance runners and at the same time bringing the local running community together. Under Armour is dedicated to helping athletes, both pro and amateur, to continuously assess and improve their performance and this was definitely achieved with the ALL OUT MILE campaign.”

“One of the highlights of the evening was definitely the spectacular Elite men’s race, culminating in four world-class performances by 4 athletes running the mile in under 4 minutes. What an absolute privilege to bear witness to an incredible feat,” concludes Cooke.

Top 4 Male Elite Runners on the night:

  1. Justin  Kemboi – 03:59.02
  2. Matthew Kipsang – 03:59.02
  3. Ashley Smith – 03:59.86
  4. Christopher  Swart – 03:59.98