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The Citizen
02-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
OPINION: Junior athletes are flaunting South Africa's immense talent
Teenagers Rume Burger, Tumi Ramokgopa, Ansume de Beer and Nicole Barnard all won national senior titles in Potchefstroom. Rume Burger in action during the SA Athletics Championships in Potchefstroom last week. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images In terms of both genetics and sporting experience, Rume Burger couldn't ask for better parents. Possessing an abundance of natural talent, Burger was perhaps the best of a long list of young athletes who showcased South Africa's incredible track and field potential, as the next generation of rising stars delivered in style at the SA Athletics Championships in Potchefstroom last week. Burger, who turned 17 earlier this year, was the only youth athlete to win a national title against senior opposition in Potch, earning gold in the women's 200m final in 23.49 seconds. She also bagged bronze in the 100m final in 11.48. And with her father Philip being a former Blitzboks rugby player and her mother Marinda having played for the Proteas netball team, both her parents will have a good understanding of what will be required to protect her from pushing too hard in the early stages of her elite career and help nurture her talent. And hopefully the people looking after other junior athletes in SA will be equally diligent in ensuring the nation's rising stars are able to reach their full potential. Rising stars Tumi Ramokgopa, 17, was also superb in Potch, with the junior speedster winning gold in the women's 100m hurdles final in 13.55 (albeit in the absence of SA record holder Marione Fourie) and grabbing silver in the 400m hurdles final in 55.90. In the men's sprints, 19-year-old Bayanda Walaza (10.00) and 17-year-old Naeem Jack (20.13) both secured silver medals in the 100m and 200m events respectively. While Walaza had already qualified for the World Championships in Tokyo later this year, after setting a national junior 100m record of 9.99 earlier this season, he achieved the feat again, while Jack also dipped under the required standard over the half-lap distance. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Ansume de Beer won gold in the women's pole vault after clearing the bar at 4.10m, and Nicole Barnard, who turned 18 last week, triumphed in the javelin throw final with a best heave of 51.80m (in the absence of Olympic silver medallist Jo-Ane du Plessis). Records broken In addition, in the men's 400m semifinals, 17-year-old Leendert Koekemoer clocked 45.03 to break the 31-year-old national junior mark of 45.15 held by Riaan Dempers. In the women's discus throw final, 19-year-old Alicia Khunou broke the SA U20 record, securing the silver medal with a 55.06m heave. South Africa has a long history of producing world-class junior athletes, but the next generation look ready to break new ground. Let's hope they continue to progress as they aim to reach their immense potential.
The Citizen
29-04-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
OPINION: On the track, in the field and on the road, SA athletics is on the rise
At home and abroad, South African athletes were on fire last week. Middle-distance runners Prudence Sekgodiso and Charne Swart-Du Plessis after the women's 800m final at the SA Athletics Championships. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images We would have to turn the clock back a long way to recall a weekend of South African athletics as memorable as what we experienced last week. In Hamburg, 38-year-old Elroy Gelant shattered the national men's marathon record, clocking 2:05:36 to break the previous mark of 2:06:33 which was set by Gert Thys in Tokyo back in 1999. Gelant has been one of South Africa's top distance runners for more than a decade and it's fitting that he broke one of the longest standing records in the South African books. Meanwhile, in China, Akani Simbine opened his international outdoor season with a dominant victory in the men's 100m race at the first leg of the Diamond League series in China. Simbine clocked 9.99 seconds, thumping a strong field which included African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala, Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo and American rocket Christian Coleman. The 31-year-old athlete is the most consistent sprinter on the planet, and maybe this will be the year he finally ends his bizarre drought by picking up a medal at a major global outdoor championship. SA Athletics Championships Back home, despite the absence of a handful of athletes who were competing at the Diamond League meeting, those who turned out at the national track and field championships in Potchefstroom produced the best edition of the domestic showpiece in some time. Zakithi Nene was the standout performer, clocking 44.22 seconds to win the men's 400m final. He climbed to second place in the all-time SA rankings over the distance behind world record holder Wayde van Niekerk, who ran 43.03 at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. There was also a thrilling final in Potchefstroom in the men's 200m event, with Sinesipho Dambile (20.11), 17-year-old Naeem Jack (20.15) and Abduraqhmaan Karriem (20.15) all qualifying for the World Championships to be held in Tokyo in September. And fellow sprinter Gift Leotlela, who seemed to be dead and buried by a persistent injury, made a remarkable comeback, winning the men's 100m gold medal in 9.99. While Leotlela picked up a hamstring niggle in the 200m heats, his team didn't seem too concerned and hopefully he is able to reach the heights we know he is capable of reaching. Other highlights In the women's 800m final, world indoor champion Prudence Sekgodiso (1:58.80) was pushed all the way to the line by Charne Swart-Du Plessis (1:58.98) and both athletes will turn out at the global championships in Tokyo. There was also a magnificent medal treble by versatile thrower Colette Uys. Uys launched a massive 18.14m heave in the women's shot put final, falling just three centimetres short of the national record held by Ashley Erasmus (18.17m). She also won gold in the discus throw (57.94m) and silver in the hammer throw (65.53m). If this past weekend was anything to go by, the international season is going to be just as memorable. I can't even wait.
The Citizen
27-04-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Maxime Chaumeton targets SA 5km road record after causing upset on the track
Chaumeton beat Adriaan Wildschutt to win the South African 5 000m title on the track in Potchefstroom. Distance runner Maxime Chaumeton on his way to victory in the 5 000m race at the SA Athletics Championships in Potchefstroom. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images After pulling off the biggest surprise of the SA Athletics Championships, Maxime Chaumeton hoped he could translate his impressive form into a national record next week. In the last individual race at the domestic track and field showpiece in Potchefstroom on Saturday, Chaumeton stunned pre-race favourite Adriaan Wildschutt to win the men's 5 000m title. While Chaumeton has been one of South Africa's top distance runners in recent years, Olympic 10 000m finalist Wildschutt (based in the United States) has been on a record-breaking spree, setting multiple national marks over the 3 000m, 5 000m and 10 000m distances. And after setting a new SA 10km record of 27:28 on the road in Gqeberha two weeks ago, Wildschutt lined up as the firm favourite to retain his 5 000m title at NWU McArthur Stadium. But Chaumeton made his intentions clear when he hit the front and opened a gap in the 12-and-a-half lap race, with Wildschutt ultimately forced to break away from the chase group and reel him in. After taking the lead, Wildschutt was entangled in a bizarre situation in the closing stages of the race when an athlete being lapped wouldn't let him past, first pushing him into the third lane around a bend and then launching a sprint for a lap before withdrawing from the race. Though Wildschutt reacted, sticking with the backmarker, Chaumeton sat back and let it play out before launching a late kick to surge past Wildschutt and charge to victory in 13:44.53, with Wildschutt settling for the silver medal in 13:53.05. The athlete who joined the mix at the end of the race was a provincial teammate of Chaumeton, with both of them competing in the colours of Central Gauteng Athletics, but Chaumeton insisted it had not been a planned tactical decision. He did, however, admit that it had affected the race. Controlling the race Nonetheless, he was pleased his decision to go out hard had worked in his favour, as he controlled most of the contest. 'Adriaan has been racing a lot, and kudos to him because it's extremely hard to do what he's doing, racing overseas, coming back and hitting a 10km record. I've tried it myself and it's very hard,' said Chaumeton, who is coached by former SA 10 000m record holder Hendrick Ramaala. 'So I knew the only way to really cook it was to go to the front and believe in yourself, not let the group come to you and at least secure second position.' Chaumeton said he would now target his own South African 5km record (13:18) on the road at a race in Tokyo on Thursday. 'I have the only record Adriaan doesn't have (over the distances they compete) and I'm trying to extend it a bit longer,' Chaumeton said. 'I would like to run a new national record. I think I can because we're looking good, and it's just about doing it on the day.'
The Citizen
26-04-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
South African sprinters shine at home and abroad
Akani Simbine won the men's 100m race at the Diamond League meeting in China. National record holder Akani Simbine celebrates his 100m victory at the Diamond League in China. Picture: AFP Akani Simbine flaunted his impressive form in the early stages of the international season at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, China on Saturday, while sprinters stole the show back home on the final day of the SA Athletics Championships in Potchefstroom. Simbine destroyed the men's 100m field at the first Diamond League event of the year, clocking 9.99 seconds and finishing well clear of Kenyan runner-up Ferdinand Omanyala who crossed the line in 10.13. Meanwhile, in Potchefstroom, sprinters delivered in spectacular fashion at the national championships. Zakithi Nene won his third SA 400m title in what was perhaps the performance of the three-day domestic showpiece. Nene stopped the clock at 44.22, setting a personal best and climbing to second place in the all-time national rankings behind world record holder Wayde van Niekerk. He reclaimed the SA half-lap crown he last secured in 2022. Behind him, 19-year-old Udeme Okon, who won the world junior title last year, took second position in 44.99 as he dipped under 45 seconds for the first time in his career. 'I wanted to win the title which I haven't won for the last couple of years, so I'm very chuffed to be able to take it back home,' Nene said after the race. 200m finals In the men's 200m final, Sinesipho Dambile reclaimed the SA title he won in 2022, storming home in 20.11 seconds. He held off challenges from 17-year-old Naeem Jack, who clocked 20.13, and Abduraghmaan Karriem, who was third in 20.15, with all three athletes achieving the qualifying standard of 20.16 for the World Championships in Tokyo later this year. Youth athlete Rume Burger produced a stunning performance in the women's 200m final, holding off her senior opposition to win gold in 23.59. Burger, the daughter of former Blitzboks rugby player Philip Burger and former Proteas netball player Marinda Burger, turned 17 in February. Another 17-year-old athlete, Tumi Ramokgopa, also charged to an impressive victory in the women's 100m hurdles final in 13.55 in the absence of national record holder Marione Fourie. Later in the afternoon in China, Fourie finished third in the women's 100m hurdles race at the Diamond League meeting, clocking 12.62.
The Citizen
26-04-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Sekgodiso drags Swart-Du Plessis to World Champs qualifying time
Swart-Du Plessis will join Sekgodiso in the two-lap event at the global championships in Tokyo later this year. Prudence Sekgodiso is chased to the line by Charne Swart Du-Plessis at the national track and field championships. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images Middle-distance runners Prudence Sekgodiso and Charne Swart-Du Plessis delivered an incredible race for fans at NWU McArthur Stadium in Potchefstroom on Friday, with both athletes dipping under 1:59.00 in the women's 800m final at the SA Athletics Championships in Potchefstroom. World indoor champion Sekgodiso went out hard and Swart-Du Plessis stuck to her shoulder on the first lap but Sekgodiso started to draw clear after the bell. However, Swart-Du Plessis launched a furious kick over the last 200m and very nearly shut down her more fancied compatriot. Sekgodiso won gold in 1:58.80 and Swart-Du Plessis grabbed the silver medal in a personal best 1:58.98, qualifying for the World Championships to be held in Tokyo in September. Sekgodiso had already booked her place in the SA team for the global showpiece after achieving the qualifying standard of 1:59.00 last year. 'I'm happy for Charne' 'The race was a bit tactical. The plan was to go fast in the first 400m but it might have been a bit too fast, and my legs were a bit tired, to be honest,' Sekgodiso said afterwards. 'I just told myself 'you know what, you've got this, you've got to keep your head up'. But I ran under two minutes, and I'm happy for Charne as well because she qualified for the World Championships, and at least now I won't be alone (in Tokyo). I'll have someone on my side.' Swart admitted afterwards that she was more concerned about running a fast time than trying to beat Sekgodiso, in order to achieve the automatic qualifying standard for the World Championships. 'I knew if I could automatically qualify for Tokyo it would make my season a lot easier because there's a lot of other things I can focus on. 'It also opens doors for me in Europe, so I knew I couldn't run a tactical race and I couldn't go slow.' Sekgodiso and Swart-Du Plessis were set to clash again later in the day (3.15pm) in the women's 1 500m final.
