Justine Robbeson wins four gold medals at the Southern African Junior Championships (© Mark Ouma)
Justine Robbeson and Leigh Julius lead South Africa’s charge in dominating the medal haul at the Southern Africa Junior Athletics Championships contested at the University of Botswana Athletics Stadium.
The regional body includes Angola, Botswana, Comoro Islands, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. During the two-day contest 21 athletes achieved the qualifying standard for the World Junior Championships due in Grosseto, Italy in July.
Arguably one of South Africa’s main medal hopefuls in Grosseto, Justine Robbeson won the women’s long jump (6.11), javelin (48.66), before setting a personal best in the 100m Hurdles (13.6). Her fourth gold medal came through the 4x100m relay (46.37).
“I did not expect to achieve this as I was down with flu for much of last week. My coach (Owen van Niekerk) reassured me that all would go well. Our objective was to assess my level of fitness as this is the only international competition for us before the world juniors,” says Robbeson. She holds the South Africa heptathlon record of 5,761 points.
Although her performance in individual events does not place her among the medal favourites in Grosseto, Robbeson’s versatility in several events make her a potential medallist in the heptathlon.
“Long jump, javelin, and the 100m Hurdles are my strongest events. My target in Grosseto is to score 6000 points,” she revealed. Clearly, her sights are at improving the Africa record of 5,836 currently held by Ghana’s Margaret Simpson.
After winning the 100m (10.50) in a championship record, Leigh Julius and his team mates got a rude shock when Botswana (40.98) edged South Africa (41.15) in the 4x100m relay at the end of the first day.
Julius came back on the finals day of the competition to set his second championship record in the 200m (20.47). He was also part of the team that set a 4x400m relay championship record (3:07.82). On current form, South Africa’s junior relay team of Chris Gebhardt, Ruaan Grobler, Julius and Louis van Zyl is arguably stronger that the senior national team.
“The loss to Botswana in the shorter relay was a wake up call. We cannot take any team for granted in Italy. Nonetheless, I am surprised with my time on the 200m. I have at least a month to go and if all goes well, I hope to run 20.2 in Italy,” says Julius, who is the World Student 200m Champion.
South Africa’s Masello Moekoa (9:32.33) shattered the Africa record previously held by Kenya’s Irene Limika (9:39.51). Other notable South African performances came from high jumpers Anika Smit (1.83) and Ramsay Carelse (2.20) while Louis Van Zyl
(50.06) and Wouter le Roux (51.08) are serious medal contenders in the 400m Hurdles.
Meanwhile assistance from the Lurdes Mutola Foundation enabled Mozambique to return home with three medals. Machuza Carvalho (7.01) won the boys long jump while Rosia Deise (5.84) was a silver medallist in the girls contest and Eleswhere David Magagule’s career best of 15.94 enabled him clinch a bronze medal in the 110m Hurdles.
Namibia’s 16 year old sprinter Globine Mujova (56.96) won the girls 400m. She later clinched a bronze medal in the 200m with a career best of 24.73.
Swaziland’s future in athletes appears promising after 14 year-old Nontobeko Mbhamali (10:11.63) won a silver medal in the girls 3000m. Earlier on, Temalangeni Dlamini
(57.95) returned home with a bronze medal from the girls 400m. Swaziland is striving to broaden women’s participation in sports in general and athletics in particular.
Mark Ouma for the IAAF
Selected Results
Note: All athletes are South African unless otherwise mentioned AJR denotes Africa Junior Record WJC denotes qualified for the World Junior Championships
NJR denotes National Junior Record
CR denotes Championships Record
PB denotes Personal Best
Men
100m (0.0)
1 Leigh Julius 10.50 CR/ WJC
2 Pedzani Madubeko (Botswana) 10.80
3 Jean du Randt 10.81
200m (0.0)
1 Leigh Julius 20.47 CR/ WJC
2 Obakeng Ngwigwa (Botswana) 21.04 PB/ WJC
3 Frank Puriza (Namibia) 21.27 WJC
4 Jean du Randt 21.30 WJC
400m
1 Chris Gebhardt 46.91 WJC
2 Obakeng Ngwigwa (Botswana) 47.24 WJC
3 Ruaan Grobler 48.05
110m Hurdles (+3.4)
1 Ruan de Vries 14.23 WJC
2 Leon Fourie 14.78
3 David Magagule (Mozambique) 15.94 PB
400m Hurdles
1 Louis van Zyl 50.06 CR/WJC
2 Wouter le Roux 51.08 WJC
3 Antonio Vieillesse (Mauritius) 53.22
800m
1 Sydney Mafologela 1:50.93
2 Bonolo Maboa 1:51.57
3 Motseki Shepane (Lesotho) 1:52.47
1500m
1 Zolani Bhitane 3:51.16
2 Mandla Maseko 3:51.54
3 Moemedi Dikwata (Botswana) 3:51.82
5000m
1 Zolani Bhitane 14:36.47
2 Nchenami Siwane (Botswana) 14:36.80
3 Zolile Bhitane 14:37.49
Long Jump
1 Machuza Carvalho (Mozambique) 7.01 (0.0)
2 William Mbumbo (Namibia) 6.52 (0.0)
3 Mandhla Mugijma (Zimbabwe) 6.50 (0.0)
Triple Jump
1 Khotso Mokoena 15.95 (0.0) CR/ WJC
2 Simeon Mars 15.15 (0.0)
3 Larona Koosimile (Botswana) 14.42 (+0.25)
High Jump
1 Ramsay Carelse 2.20 WJC
2 Kabelo Kgosiemang (Botswana) 2.00
3 Salamon Tauire (Namibia) 1.95
Javelin
1 Raldu Potgieter 64.87
2 Leon Rautenbach 64.27
3 David Lam Vo Hee (Mauritius) 61.04
Discus
1 Marie Kenny (Seychelles) 37.31
2 Tshepiso Nakedi (Botswana) 36.48
Shot Put
1 Ross Jordaan 18.36 WJC
2 Kosie Barnard 17.47
3 Marie Kenny (Seychelles) 12.96
`
4x100m Relay
1 Botswana 40.98 CR
2 South Africa 41.15
3 Namibia 42.03
4x400m Relay
1 South Africa 3:07.82 CR
2 Botswana 3:15.30
3 Namibia 3:20.10
Women
100m (-1.1)
1 Isabel le Roux 12.10
2 Cindy Stewart 12.23
3 Tatenda Gorgonga (Zimbabwe) 12.46
200m
1 Isabel le Roux 23.88 WJC
2 Amanada Kotze 23.88 WJC
3 Globine Mujova (Namibia) 24.73 PB
400m
1 Globine Mujova (Namibia) 56.96
2 Angela Makaha (Zimbabwe) 57.12
3 Temalangeni Dlamini (Swaziland) 57.95
100m Hurdles (0.0)
1 Justine Robbeson 13.6 PB/CR/ WJC
2 Jackie Kriel 13.9 WJC
3 Margo van Schalkwyk (Namibia) 15.6
400m Hurdles
1 Gaone Phokoje (Botswana) 1:08.22
2 Margo van Schalkwyk (Namibia) 1:08.99
3 Letwin Chivswa (Zimbabwe) 1:09.18
800m
1 Tshotlego Morama (Botswana) 2:08.02
2 Angela Wagner 2:10.43
3 Elizet Banda (Zambia) 2:10.87
1500m
1 Nicolene van Rooyen 4:25.39
2 Elizet Banda (Zambia) 4:33.97
3 Beatrice Chipeke (Zimbabwe) 4:37.31
3000m
1 Christine Kalmer 9.41.12
2 Nontobeko Mbhamali (Swaziland) 10:11.63
3 Dironabeng Onkemetse (Botswana) 10.22.60
3000m Steeplechase
1 Masello Moekoa 09:32.33 PB/CR/ AJR/ WJC
2 Mapaseka Makhanya 09:42.03 WJC
3 Onneile Dintwe (Botswana) 10:20:89 WJC
5000m
1 Masello Moekoa 17.38.27
2 Senny Molapisi (Botswana) 17.39.76
3 Dironabeng Onkemetse (Botswana) 17:39.86
Long Jump
1 Justine Robbeson 6.11 (+1.5) CR
2 Rosia Deise (Mozambique) 5.84 (+1.52)
3 Wilmil de Bruin (Namibia) 5.70 (+1.37)
Triple Jump
1 Samukeliso Sithole (Zimbabwe) 11.28 (0.0)
High Jump
1 Anika Smit 1.83 PB/ CR/ WJC
2 Arielle Brette (Mauritius) 1.75
3 Melissa Amamus (Namibia) 1.65
Javelin
1 Justine Robbeson 48.66
2 Miriam Mukolama (Zambia) 43.27
3 Gadifele Legase (Botswana) 38.60
Discus
1 Marli Knoetze 45.92
2 Magde Venter 44.50
3 Simeon du Toit 43.87
Shot Put
1 Marli Knoetze 15.67 WJC
2 Simeon du Toit 14.68 WJC
3 Izane Liebenburg (Namibia) 11.76
4x100m Relay
1 South Africa 46.39
2 Zimbabwe 47.55
3 Botswana 48.48
4x400m Relay
1 South Africa 3:45.45 CR
2 Botswana 3:46.35
3 Zimbabwe 3:53.23
Medal Table
Gold Silver Bronze
South Africa 27 15 4
Botswana 3 9 7
Namibia 1 2 9
Zimbabwe 1 2 5
Mozambique 1 0 1
Seychelles 1 0 1
Zambia 0 2 1
Mauritius 0 1 2
Swaziland 0 1 1
Lesotho 0 0 1
