Athletics South Africa – News – LJ VAN ZYL HEADS TEAM OF 21 ATHLETES TO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

 

The provisional team for the World Championships in Daegu, Korea (27 August – 4 September) has been announced and consists of 21 of the best athletes.  Most have qualified during the local athletics season, whilst others have reached the standards while competing overseas at international events. 

 

Thuso Mpuang and Simon Magakwe will represent South Africa in the 100m sprint.  Mpuang secured his spot in the team after qualifying only recently.  He ran in Donnas on July 3 and crossed the line in 10.16sec.  The SA Champion (Magakwe) booked his spot in the team quite some time ago when he qualified during the Yellow Pages SA Championships in Durban in April in 10:18sec

 

Mpuang is also included in the 200m after he ran 20.56sec in Stellenbosch during the Student Championships.  Wayde van Niekerk will join him in this event.  He showed his tremendous talent in Durban in April when he won the race in 20.57sec and became the senior SA Champion as a junior athlete.  Lebogang Moeng is the 3^rd athlete that has reached the standard to compete in Daegu with his 20.58sec run in Germiston earlier this year. 

 

Moeng will also compete in the 400m after LJ van Zyl, who qualified with an A-Standard, decided to focus on the 400m hurdles only.  Moeng qualified in April in Durban (45.47sec) with the B-Standard. 

 

Defending world Champion, Mbualeni Mulaudzi has yet to run an A-qualifying standard, but has been included on the IAAF rule that allows any athlete who is a current world champion to compete, and defend their titles.  Two years ago during the 12th IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Mulaudzi won the gold with his 1:45.29. This year he qualified in Roma (May) when he crossed the line in 1:45.50

 

Elroy Gelant waited until recently to qualify for the 5000m.  He competed in Uden on July 2 where he was timed at 13:25.09, a B-qualifying time.

SA Champion Stephen Mokoka will represent South Africa in the 10 000m.  Mokoka was the only athlete to qualify in this event with his 27:56.18 run in Stellenbosh in April. 

Ramolefi qualified for the 3000m steeplechase in Durban when he became the SA Champion for the 7^th time, clocking 8.14.06 for the victory. .

Lehann Fourie will represent South African in the 110m hurdles.  The SA Champion ran the qualifying standard in Hengelo on 29 May when he finished the race with a new SB of 13.56sec.

 

After his brilliant performances at home as well as on the international curcuit, SA Champion and record holder in the 400m hurdles, LJ van Zyl, was never in doubt.    He already qualified early in the season at the first Yellow Pages meeting in Pretoria (47.66sec) when he broke the SA Record. He then continued with this form as he equaled the time in Ostrava.  Van Zyl is currently ranked number one in the world with arch rivals Jeshua Anderson (47.93sec), Bershawn Jackson (47.93sec) and Angelo Taylor (47.94sec). Joining van Zyl is Cornel Fredericks who also reached the A-Standard with his 48.14sec during the Yellow Pages SA Championships in Durban. Fredericks is ranked 5^th position in the world.

 

Stalwart and Olympic and World Championship silver medalist Khotso Mokoena and Luvo Manyonga both jumped A-Qualifiers to ensure their inclusion in the team for long jump. Khotso Mokoena was the only one in the team with the 8.19m he jumped in Eugene in June (B-standard).  Manyonga then secured his place in the team and pushed Mokoena out of the team as he jumped 8.26m in Jämsä on July 2 to reach the A standard. Mokoena secured his place on the team with his 8.25m jump in Paris Saint-Denis on July 8. 

 

The SA Champion triple jump, Tumelo Thagane, already qualified for the World Championships in March in Germiston after his 16.97m jump. 

 

Robert Oosthuizen will represent South Africa in the javelin throw after his massive throw at the Diamond League meeting in Doha in May.  The SA Champion’s best attempt reached 84.38m. 

 

The last man to join the team is Willem Coertzen who will be competing in the decathlon.  Coertzen won the title at the SA Championships in Durban earlier this year when he finished with 8014 points but qualified for the team with 8094 points at the combined events  meeting in Ratingen on July 17.

 

Amongst the ladies to join the team is former 800m World Champion Caster Semenya.  Semenya will defend her title in Daegu after she rose to stardom two years ago in Berlin.  She ran 1:55.45 in 2009 and her fastest this year remains at 1:58.61 run in Oslo.  Semenya is currently ranked 9 in the world and will have to perform at the World Championships if she wants to defend her title successfully.

Wenda Theron, qualified in Germiston in March in the 400m hurdles when she crossed the line in 56.24sec. 

 

Simone du Toit reached a B Standard qualifier in the ladies shot put when she reached 17.49m during an event in Houston.

 

Team South Africa will have two athletes in the women’s javelin throw as both Sunette Viljoen as well as Justine Robbeson reached the A Standard for inclusion in the team.  Both athletes had good seasons and improved on them this past month. Sunette Viljoen already qualified in May in Ostrava (61.74m) but improved on that performance by 2cm recently at a Diamond League meeting in Paris.  Justine Robbeson qualified at the Southern Region Senior Championships in Mozambique, with her  61.26m.  This A standard ensured Robbeson a spot in the team for Daegu.