Zakithi Nene aiming to bounce back at the Kip Keino Classic after Diamond League blip
The in-form Zakithi Nene (centre) is the headline act in the 400m at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi.
Image: BackpagePix
SA's 400m star Zakithi Nene will be confident of setting the record straight when he lines up for the one-lap event at the Kip Keino Classic at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi, Kenya on Saturday.
The in-form 27-year-old sprinter took second position at last weekend's Diamond League meeting in Rabat, in 44.46 seconds.
He looked on track for the win but was chased down on the home straight by American Jacory Patterson, who clocked 44.37. Olympic champion Quincy Hall took third in 44.90.
Nene set a personal best time of 44.22 at the SA championships in Potchefstroom in April.
He will headline another strong field on Saturday that will include Africa Games champion Chidi Okezie and Australia's Cooper Sherman and Portugal's Joao Coelho.
Former national 400m champion Zablon Ekwam, who boasts a personal best of 44.69, is among the local runners who could pose an outside threat to the South African in their backyard, however.
Nene's performances so far this year have deservedly earned him top billing in Kenya, including his starring role in SA's 4X400m gold at the recent World Relays in Guangzhou, China with a world lead 2:57.50.
He ran the anchor leg in a team that featured Gardeo Isaacs and youngsters Udeme Okon and Leenderts Koekemore, clocking a split time of 43.63.
That feat ensured all eyes were on Nene in Rabat to see if he could run another sub-44-second time. Unfortunately, he was not able to deliver.
Nene's coach, Victor Vaz, feels conditions may have played a part, pointing out that all the runners ran slower than expected, even race winner Patterson. The American's 43.9 is the world-leading time this year.
'My impression was that conditions weren't that favourable for personal bests. I was obviously expecting Zak to run another 44.2 in the hope that he goes sub-44 in the future,' Vaz said.
'In my opinion, he didn't finish the race correctly. I think he started over-striding and leaning. He sensed the guy was coming for him in the last 10 metres and that slowed him down to the point where the guy could catch him just before the line.
'I thought he should have run through the line, instead of starting to dip a little bit early.'
Vaz feels his sprinter is in the best shape of his life and is tipping him to rebound fairly quickly in Kenya. He is worried about the toll the recent travel is taking out on the track star, though.
'Statistically he has no opposition (at the Kip Keino Classic). Nigerian Okezie and Australian Sherman are the two closest guys, but they're still very far from his time. So I don't want to be overconfident and put a curse on the poor chap but I think, all things being right, he should comfortably win the race.
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