New records were the order of the day at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K in early July, including Glenrose Xaba breaking the women’s SA Record, and the race had its biggest field yet, in what turned out to be a record-breaking day from start to finish. – BY Sean Falconer with Jacky McClean
By Karien Jonckheere
Picture:Anton Geyser/SA Sports Images
Rebecca Meder’s road to Paris has been something of a roller coaster ride. Four weeks before the SA Olympic trials, the 21-year-old swimmer’s appendix ruptured, leading to emergency surgery and a dramatic change of plans.
With rules dictating she had to compete at the trials to be considered for the SA team, Meder still made her way back to South Africa from her training base in New Zealand and competed in just one race – the 50m backstroke. The event was selected as it doesn’t involve a dive or tumble turn which could have caused problems with the still-healing internal stitches after the surgery.
Fortunately for Meder, she had already achieved an Olympic qualifying time in the 200m individual medley ahead of the competition, so her place on the team was secured once she had fulfilled the requirement of simply showing up. But what followed was a gruelling few months of trying to regain her form.
The SA record-holder said the comeback would not have been possible without the support of her coach, family, boyfriend and strength and conditioning and medical teams – along with a strong faith in God.
“I’ve cried many tears over the phone, I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t cry and if I didn’t have those raw emotions, and you know what, they let me feel the way I’m feeling, they listened, and then we tackled it with logic and with precision and with a goal in mind,” she explained.
“Mentally it was tough. I was frustrated, I was angry and devastated. But at the same time, I was so grateful that I was healthy. An erupted appendix is quite a dangerous thing. I spent a lot of time in prayer, worshipping God and just fixing my mind on His truth … and ultimately filling my mind with positivity and with peace and with comfort and knowing that everything was going to be OK.
“It was very difficult getting back in the pool, it was when the load started picking up, I was a little bit despondent every now and then… but I’m more at peace now knowing that I’m back on track, I’m strong again, I’m fit, fast, and muscle memory has kicked in really quickly.”
With much determination and hard work after what was effectively six weeks away from full training, Meder believes she is now back at her best.
“I’ve been hitting times in training that I’m really happy with, faster times than I have been, and my racing’s been going well, I’ve done one or two local events here in New Zealand and really happy with some of my times and some PBs, short course, which is always obviously encouraging.”
Meder competed at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and while that was important in terms of gaining experience, this time she’s there to compete.
“Last time my goal was to get to Olympics, and now my goal is to perform at Olympics. It’s quite scary to say out loud, but I suppose your dreams are supposed to scare you, and for me making a final at Olympic Games would be huge,” she said.
“The 200IM is going to be one of the most competitive events at Olympic Games… top eight in the world at an event like the Olympics would be massive. And then of course, when you’re in the final, anything can happen.”
By Karien Jonckheere
Luxolo Adams is yet to get his track season underway. A grade 2 hamstring tear has kept him on the sidelines, but the 27-year-old sprinter is confident he can come back stronger than ever as he builds towards the Paris Olympics, with the opening ceremony now less than eight weeks away.
“We’ve had some speed humps on the road, but I’ve expanded my team in terms of my health side of things, so we are quite positive, everyone is working hard towards that,” he explained, adding that he has based himself in Johannesburg to get the treatment he needs.
“I should leave South Africa mid-June to go and start competing against the best in the world and then we take it from there.”
Adams made a name for himself by running a speedy 19.82 seconds on his way to victory in the 200m at the Paris Diamond League meet in 2022.
A month later he reached the 200m final at his first World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. But at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, after running 20.15 in the heats, he was involved in the bizarre collision between two golf carts transporting athletes from the warm-up track to the stadium and was badly shaken before his semifinal.
Fortunately for the Gqeberha sprinter, the quick time in those Budapest heats saw him qualifying for the Paris Olympics as he has not competed since then.
“I’m a seasonal athlete,” he explained. “I always come through at the end, and when I’m back I’m back. I think I’ve mastered that now in terms of knowing how to go back, and how to run fast after I’ve had an obstacle along the way,” added Adams, who has dealt with his fair share of obstacles during his career.
“I don’t let that thing put me off my talent. This is my food, this is how I live, this is what puts food on the table. So I’m not going to let anything small get into my head,” he reckoned.
“We don’t want to get too excited because we’ve got a big fish to fry, so we are taking each and every step with precautions. Obviously we want to get to the Olympic Games.”
As for the excellent form that has already been shown this season by other international sprinters, Adams added: “With everyone that has competed so far most of them are looking good… I’m happy for them that they are running fast times now, but I would be worried because it’s still early.
“The Olympic Games are only in August. We want to get to the final so we can’t impress early, we need to impress when it matters.”
The frustrating case of SA’s Elroy Gelant missing out on qualifying to run the marathon at the Paris Olympics in August has left a sour taste in my mouth. – By Manfred Seidler
By Karien Jonckheere
Both Prudence Sekgodiso and Akani Simbine produced world-leading performances over the weekend, laying down important markers in the build-up to the Paris Olympics.
Competing in her first international race of the season, Sekgodiso ran a spectacularly timed 800m at the Diamond League meet in Marrakech on Sunday night to finish in a new personal best time of 1:57.26 which was also the fastest time in the world this year. The previous best of 1:57.56 had been set by Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi just a day earlier.
“I didn’t expect to run so fast,” admitted the 22-year-old afterwards. “Winning was in my mind but not with such a fast time. It’s crazy fast. I am so proud of myself tonight.
“Achieving a world lead and a personal best is just amazing. But I cannot say that this performance will change something for me in terms of goals and expectations. For the Paris Olympics, I will try to reach the final. I want to be in the big eight.”
Sekgodiso confirmed her next race will be in Nancy, France on 25 May before heading to the Diamond League meet in Stockholm on 2 June.
Meanwhile, over in the USA, Simbine stormed to victory in the 100m at the Adidas Atlanta City Games in a sizzlingly quick 9.90 seconds. That saw him getting the better of continental rival Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, who was second in 10.00. Simbine’s time not only makes him the quickest in the world so far this year but also means he has now completed a full decade of running sub-10 second times each year.
Asked if his performance puts him in the conversation regarding being the king of African sprinters, Simbine simply smiled and said: “I’ve always been part of the conversation, I never left.”
As for his ambitions this season, the 30-year-old added: “I need to get my position on the [Olympic] podium so that’s what we’re working towards and I’m focused towards that.
“South Africa is making a lot of noise in the sprints,” he added.
“There’s a lot of us, not just from South Africa but the southern region of Africa… the youth that’s coming out are really great and I’m excited to be part of the Games still and be racing against these young kids so ja, I’m looking forward to it and hoping to stay on top.”
By Karien Jonckheere
Akani Simbine, Tatjana Smith and Wayde van Niekerk were all among the 39 athletes who officially had their tickets to Paris confirmed for later this year when the first Olympic team announcement was made by the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC) in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
Teams were announced across seven sporting codes, with two more official announcements to come in the next two months.
The athletics team is far from complete with the qualification period still open and those athletes booking their tickets via world rankings yet to be finally determined.
Among those at the team announcement on Wednesday was young 400m star Lythe Pillay, who has just returned from helping the South Africa 4x400m quartet to a silver medal at the recent World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas.
“It’s really exciting. It’s still a bit surreal,” he said of making the Olympic team. “I’m really process orientated. I’m always just fixated on training and doing what I have to do. I very seldom take time to sit back and really acknowledge what has just happened and what I’ve achieved… it’s given me more of a sense of motivation to progress and keep pushing.”
Also thrilled to have booked her trip to Paris was Cian Oldknow who is one of three women, along with Gerda Steyn and Irvette van Zyl, to have qualified in the marathon.
“Until it’s official, it’s always a bit like – ooh, are we actually going? So I think now it’s starting to sink in that I really made the team,” she said. “I’m very excited… I can’t wait for what’s coming. I’m so excited to be on the start line with all my role models.”
Meanwhile, heading the swimming team is Tokyo gold and silver medallist Tatjana Smith who will be looking to defend her 200m breaststroke title in the French capital.
“It’s definitely nice to know it’s official,” she said after the announcement. “This is my second time going but it doesn’t make it any less exciting than the first time so I’m very excited.
“I’m feeling very motivated because you know you’re so close to the end – as in Paris, the thing that you’ve been working towards for so long. That definitely keeps you encouraged because you know there’s only about nine weeks left so that helps a lot.”
Others in the swimming team include the likes of SA’s most successful Olympian Chad le Clos, world championship medallist Pieter Coetzé and Commonwealth Games medallists Erin Gallagher and Kaylene Corbett.
The other sporting codes to have their teams announced were canoeing, climbing, gymnastics, surfing and wrestling.
Meanwhile, SASCOC announced the cash incentives that are up for grabs to South Africans who win medals in Paris. R400,000 will be awarded to gold medallists with R100,000 going to their coaches, R200 000 for silver medallists (with R50k for coaches) and R75 000 for bronze medals (R25k for coaches).
SA Olympic team so far:
AQUATICS
Men: Pieter Coetzé (100m, 200m backstroke), Chad le Clos (100m butterfly), Matthew Sates (100m, 200m butterfly and 200m IM)
Women: Aimee Canny (200m freestyle), Kaylene Corbett (200m breaststroke), Erin Gallagher (100m butterfly), Rebecca Meder (200m IM), Tatjana Smith (100m, 200m breaststroke), Julia Vincent (diving, 3m springboard)
ATHLETICS
Men: Luxolo Adams (200m), Stephen Mokoka (marathon), Zakhiti Nene (400m), Lythe Pillay (400m), Benjamin Richardson (200m), Akani Simbine (100m), Tshepo Tshite (1500m), Wayde van Niekerk (400m), Jovan van Vuuren (long jump), Adriaan Wildschutt (5000m, 10000m).
Women: Marione Fourie (100mH), Zeney Geldenhuys (400mH), Rogail Joseph (400mH), Cian Oldknow (marathon), Prudence Sekgodiso (800m), Gerda Steyn (marathon), Irvette van Zyl (marathon)
CANOEING
Men: Andrew Birkett (kayak sprint), Hamish Lovemore (kayak sprint)
Women: Tiffany Koch (kayak sprint), Esti Olivier (kayak sprint)
Management: Nkosi Mzolo (coach), Janet Simpkins (manager)
GYMNASTICS
Women: Caitlin Rooskrantz (artistic)
Management: Ilse Pelser (coach)
SPORT CLIMBING
Men: Joshua Bruyns (speed climbing), Mel Janse van Rensburg (lead & boulder)
Women: Aniya Holder (speed climbing), Lauren Mukheiber (lead & boulder)
Management: Dean Bruyns (manager), John-David Muller (official coach)
SURFING
Men: Matthew McGillivray, Jordy Smith
Women: Sarah Ann Baum
Management: Christopher Bond (coach), Rezar De Nicker (coach, manager)
WRESTLING
Men: Steyn de Lange (92kg), Marias Hattingh (training partner, 79kg)
Management: Jan Roets (coach)
