Solid early season results in South Africa - updated report

Three star names of South African athletics, World High Jump champion Hestrie Cloete and the Commonwealth Games champions Okkert Brits (Pole Vault) and Shaun Bownes (110m Hurdles), produced solid early season performances at the ABSA Series meeting in Potchefstroom, last night, Friday 31 January.
 
In the women’s High Jump, 24 year-old Cloete who is also the Olympic silver medallist, cruised to victory with a 1.94m clearance. This was Cloete's first competition since her 2.02 count-back win over Sweden's Kajsa Bergqvist at last summer's IAAF World Cup in Madrid (21 September).

A 5.70m win in the men’s Pole Vault for Brits, coming so early in the season was obviously a surprise to the South African who like Cloete was making his 2003 debut. "I was only aiming for 5.60m, so to clear 5.70m is a real bonus.”

Brits had a very successful season in 2002, not only taking the Commonwealth gold (30 July) with a 5.75m Games record clearance, but later also becoming World Cup champion (21 September) with the same height, both victories being obtained in difficult weather conditions.

Local favourite Shaun Bownes, who took a surprise Commonwealth gold last summer over the sprint hurdles, had already had three outings over 110m in 2003, with 13.77 (11 Jan), 13.62 (18 Jan) and 13.64 (13.64) clockings before last night’s win in Potchefstroom.

Bownes' winning time was 13.51 and despite it being a season’s best he was not satisfied with the race. "There were a couple of false starts which put me off a bit," Bownes said. "The wind was also swirling and I didn't run a technically perfect race, but it was good to win."

The meeting also signalled, the return to top flight competition of Algeria’s Baya Rahouli, the former African Triple Jump record holder.

Improving on her performance in last week’s ABSA meeting in Germiston by 54cm, Rahouli took a comfortable victory in the women’s Triple Jump, winning the event in 14.46m. She went on to win her 100m heat in 11.66, before carrying the day in the Long Jump with a 6.25 effort. Although all these performances were wind assisted, Baya was nonetheless delighted.

“Tonight’s results have proved that seven weeks of training in Potchefstroom have been worthwhile. I opted to train and compete in South Africa as it is warm here compared to Europe at this time of the year. After two turbulent years which included changing coaches, my career is finally back on track,” said Rahouli.

Looking ahead she says her target is to improve her Algerian national records in 100m (11.62), Long Jump (6.70m), and Triple Jump (14.64).

”It will be a great achievement for me if I can break the 15 metres mark in the Triple Jump. But for now I do not want to put myself under pressure,” concluded Rahouli.

Clinton Venter, South Africa's newest sprint hope, underlined his talent with a sprint double. He ran personal best times 10.32 (100m) and 20.66 (200m) giving himself a confidence boost ahead of next week's journey to Europe for the start of the indoor season.

“It is cool to break new grounds so early in the year. However, this is going to be a long season with the World Championships in Paris and the All Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria in October,” confirmed Venter.

“My coach and I are planning to better things to come. However we are taking one step at a time. For my focus is on getting selected for the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham in March.”

Other notable performances came from Hungarian Kristian Pars who won the Hammer with a throw of 74.43m.

Khatso Mokoena set a South African junior record in the Long Jump with a leap of 7.84m.

The 400m was won by Marcus le Grange (45.92), while Werner Botha celebrated his 25th Birthday with a 1:46.80 minute win in the men’s 800m.

2000 World Junior Javelin champion Hardus Pienaar, achieved a career best with a winning throw of 82.52. He bettered his previous best of 81.40 achieved in Boechout, Belgium last year. Still youthful 22, Pienaar is the fourth best South Africa javelin thrower of all time.

Mark Ouma for the IAAF

SELECTED RESULTS
Note
All athletes are South Africans unless otherwise mentioned.
SR denotes series record
NR denotes national record
AR denotes Africa record
PB denotes personals best

MEN
100m (+1.1)
1 Clinton Venter 10.32 PB
2 Martin Brtinarski  (Slovakia) 10.40
3 Mathew Quinn 10.47

200m (+0.1)
1 Clinton Venter 20.66 PB
2 Martin Brinarski (Slovakia) 20.91
3 Mathew Quinn 21.10

400m
1 Marcus la Grange 45.91
2 Jopie van Oudtshoorn 46.38
3 Jiri Muzik (Czech Republic) 46.51

400m B
1 Najmedin Ali Babibker (Sudan) 48.10
2 Imad Douce (Sudan) 49.53
3 Willem Cruywagen 49.76

110m Hurdles (+1.7)
1 Shaun Bownes 13.51
2 Frikkie van Zyl 13.66
3 Brendon Harmse 14.40

400m Hurdles
1 Ockert Cilliers 49.59
2 Pieter Koekemoer 50.34
3 Marnus Kritzinger 50.76

800m
1 Werner Botha 1:46.6
2 Juan van Deventer 1:47.4
3 James Mcllroy (Ireland) 1:47.5

800m B
1 Samuel Sepeng 1:51.73
2 Adriaan van Wyk 1:52.45
3 Thabo Thobelangope 1:53.36

3000m
1 Hendrick Ramaala 8:05.41
2 Yousef Abdi (Australia) 8:05.42
3 David Mokwena 8:07.17

3000m B
1 Petrus Seeco 8:31.49
2 Sikhubuzo Kharitsi 8:33.80
3 Sello Mahase 8:37.35

Long Jump
1 Khotso Mokoena 7.84 PB
2 Stefan Louw (Germany) 7.79
3 Martin McClintock 7.68

Pole Vault
1 Okkert Brits 5.70
2 Lauren Looije (Holland) 5.50
3 Fanie Jacobs 5.00

Javelin
1 Hardus Pienaar 82.52 PB
2 Willie Human 76.42
3 Wimpie du Plessis 68.91

Shot Put
1 John Sullivan 18.11
2 Roelie Potgieter 17.79
3 Wessel Lemmer 16.88

Hammer
1 Kristian Pars (Hungary) 74.43
2 Chris Harmse  73.06
3 Werner Smit 68.97

WOMEN

100m ( +2.7)
1 Geraldine Pillay 11.55
2 Wendy Seegers 11.66
3 Estie Wittstock 11.67

100m B (+2.7)
1 Baya Rahouli (Algeria) 11.66
2 Iize Jordaan 11.97
3 Marliese Steyn 12.10

200m (+0.5)
1 Heide Seyerling-Quinn 23.13
2 Estie Wittstock 23.48
3 Gerlaldine Pillay 23.55

200m B (+1.9)
1. Vicky Van Os 25.18
2. Philna Kleynhans 25.25
3 Muna Jabir Adam 25.67

110m Hurdles (+1.0)
1 Carla Fick 14.14
2 Liesel Raubenheimer 14.31
3 Celeste Dartnall 14.36

800m
1 Marlene Breytenbach 2:09 29
2 Julia Sakara (Zimbabwe) 2:10.13
3 Zanelle Grobler 2:10.40

3000m
1 Rene Kalmer 9: 29.29
2 Liza van der Merwe  9:40.06
3 Ronel Thomas 9: 41.58

Long Jump
1 Baya Rahouli (Algeria) 6.25 (+ 6.1)
2 Justin Robbeson 6.14 (+ 2.9)
3 Karen Pretorius 6.08 (+ 5.1)

Triple Jump
1 Baya Rahouli (Algeria) 14.46  (+2.2)
2 Yolande Meier 11.95 (-0.8)

High Jump
1 Hestrie Cloete 1.94
2 Svetlan Zaevskaya (Kazakistan)1.90
3 Tanya Joubert 1.80

Javelin
1 Sunette Vijoen 54.16
2 Maryke le Roux 48.23
3 Beulah Potgieter 47.19

Shot Put
1 Veronica Abrahamse 16.66
2 Maranelle du Toit 16.49
3 Tanya Treurnicht 12.19