The recent SA 10km Championships delivered some fantastic performances, but also produced yet another case where our sport appeared to shoot itself in the foot! – By Norrie Williamson
Category: News
‹ BackAkani takes sixth SA 100m title as women’s 400m hurdles produces two Olympic qualifiers
The women’s 400m hurdles provided one of the highlights of day two of the SA Athletics Championships in Pietermaritzburg on Friday.
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Zeney Geldenhuys was pushed all the way to the final hurdle by Rogail Joseph, just pulling away in the final metres to take her fourth national title in a time of 54.72 seconds with Joseph second in 54.84. Both times were below the automatic qualification mark for the Olympic Games later this year in Paris.
Claiming the bronze medal was 16-year-old star Tumi Ramokgopa who set a new South African youth record with a time of 57.04.
Geldenhuys said afterwards she was pleased to be pushed by her young rivals.
“You can’t always just go into a race and think I’m going to run and win by 100 metres so it is very exciting to know that there are girls pushing me because without them it’s difficult to run great times,” she said.
“I’m ecstatic [about the time] and I’m truly blessed to know I could run the Olympic qualifying time… but from here it’s much harder work to get the times done because if I want to run a final [at the Olympics] it need to be a 53.”
Joseph reckoned: “It was a really tough race and I’m really proud of myself because it’s the first time I was so close to the winner at SA Seniors, so I can see I’m on the right road and I’m so excited to see what more is in store for me.”
Meanwhile, Lindukuhle Gora was thrilled to get his hands on a first senior national title, winning the men’s 400m hurdles in 49.45 seconds.
Also claiming her first senior title was teenage sprinter Viwe Jingqi. The 19-year-old blitzed to the women’s 100m title in a time of 11.23, just one hundredth of a second off her PB.
“Fantastic! I thought it went great. I don’t know how to explain it but as you can see, the smile and how I’m talking… everything went well,” said a thrilled Jingqi afterwards.
While it was a first for Jingqi, it was title number six for Akani Simbine in the men’s 100m. The SA record holder powered to victory in a time of 10.01 seconds, holding off teenagers Bayanda Walaza (10.27) and Bradley Nkoana (10.29) for the gold.
“I’m just also happy to retain my title,” said Simbine, who admitted he was targeting a sub-10 second time but was unsure of the cool, slightly breezy conditions.
“For us it was trying to finish off on a sub-10 but I’m happy with a 10.01 – I can’t complain about that, I can’t complain about finishing the race healthy and now that sets me up for my next race in China next week,” he said.
Earlier in the day, 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk ran the opening race of his campaign of the SA Championships, finishing first in his 200m heat in a time of 20.57 seconds.
“It was comfortable. It felt a little bit rusty in some areas of the race, but I think once you get your legs exposed to that, those things start freeing up and the fact that I ran quite a solid time, feeling the way I did, hopefully the next two will be better,” he said afterwards.
“I think [nerves are] always there. Nerves are something that’s part of the game I guess. My wife told me – if I feel this way, how do the rest fo the guys feel? So I’m trying to use that mentally in my head. But we all have a bit of nerves, a bit of restlessness because we want to do well and be competitive so it’s very much part of the game. It’s really just about managing it and putting your best foot forward.
In other events on Friday, Cheswill Johnson claimed the men’s long jump title with a leap of 8.22m, while Brian Raats cleared 2.25m to take gold in the men’s high jump on countback.
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.
New-look Tatjana shakes off injury to shine at SA champs
Tatjana Smith is in a happy place. The former Tatjana Schoenmaker is newly married, swimming fast again, and on top of the world – literally. That’s after rising to the top of the world 200m breaststroke rankings at the SA Swimming Championships in Gqeberha last week.
Image credit Anton Geyser/SA Sports Images
Her time of 2 minutes19.92 seconds in the heats placed her third in the world, and she bettered that in the evening final, swimming 2:19.01 to not only take top spot but achieve her fastest time since that memorable day back in 2021 when she clinched the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo.
Speaking on the pool deck at the end of the meet in Gqeberha, the 26-year-old explained that she was still recovering from a grade two groin tear. But even that couldn’t hold her back.
“I’m very grateful that it hasn’t flared up and I’m still feeling strong and my times are looking insane for what the past three weeks have looked like in my life,” she said, adding that she was advised not to compete in the national championships.
Meanwhile, explaining her thinking behind her name change, Smith said: “I have this slogan… ‘Swimming is what I do, it’s not who I am.’ And that’s why I changed my surname because I don’t want my identity to lie in swimming.
“People know me as Tatjana Schoenmaker and I really felt like that’s not who I am, that’s just a surname and I’ve grown into a different person, I’m not the person I was in 2021 and I just want to embrace it.”
After the highs of Tokyo where Smith won her 200m breaststroke gold in a then-world record time and also claimed silver in the 100m breaststroke, her form dropped off slightly, beaten by her teenage rival, Lara van Niekerk, at the next year’s national championships in the 100m breaststroke.
“I obviously reached the highest thing in swimming and after that I really, really did struggle coming out.
“Being beaten the next year at nationals was not the greatest, but those are the things that you come out of and it’s not about the achievement it’s about finding the joy in the sport.”
Smith said even at her lowest, she did not feel completely lost.
“I am very much about my faith, and I think in those times where I felt hopeless there was always light, I never really gave up, and I knew it might take some time, and everyone’s roads aren’t straight, there are always obstacles, and I just had to push through and know that there’s a reason for those obstacles.”
Smith admitted that things in her life look very different now, with husband Joel (Springbok captain Siya Kolisi’s brother-in -law) by her side.
“A lot of things in my personal life have also changed, I met my husband, so I think all those things build up, it’s that comfort of home. With my parents leaving after the Olympics, and emigrating [to the Netherlands], that was also a massive adjustment, so I’ve finally found home. I think it’s just those times when I’m out of the pool where do I find my comfort, and I think that’s what made the difference.
“It doesn’t mean that I’m going to swim amazing times and break records again but for me, it’s just knowing that I’m improving and that it’s going better, I feel happier, and ja, I think that’s all that matters, that you’re actually enjoying the sport. I don’t want to do it and be miserable, so I’m finding that joy in swimming again.”