SA spoilt for choice with sprint boom

SA is set to select its largest athletics contingent for the Olympic Games since readmission before the window period closes on Monday.

South Africa is set to select its largest athletics contingent for the Olympic Games since readmission – after 48 spots were qualified – before the window period closes on Monday.

Should the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) fill these spots it will surpass the 32-member contingent that represented the country at the 2004 Athens Games.

A total of 41 men and 19 women have met the Olympic qualifying mark during the window period which opened in May last year.

The number should be less come Thursday when Sascoc announces the final squad for the Rio Olympics with some athletes qualifying for events they will not participate in at the Games.

In eight events the limit of three athletes per event achieving qualifying times have been reached.

The number will be whittled down further in six of the events where more than the quota of three athletes met the Olympic mark, and could see the number drop down to 41 men and women.

A total of 14 men, and nine women posted qualifying times in the marathon which had been reduced to six in total.

The men’s marathon team include Lusapho April, Sibusiso Nzima, and Lungile Gongqa while the women’s race would be represented by Irvette Van Zyl, Christina Kalmer, and Diana Lebo Phalula.

World 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk, Olympic silver medallist Caster Semenya, and distance ace Stephen Mokoka have qualified in three events each.

Van Niekerk has met the qualifying standards in the 100m, 200m, and the 400m but has made it clear he would focus on the one-lap sprint.

Although highly unlikely, Semenya could feature in the 400m, 800m, and the 1,500m while she has been coy about whether she would attempt a double at the Games.

Should Semenya decide to race in two events in Rio, she is likely to take on the 400-800m double which would allow for an easier schedule compared to the 800-1500m.

South Africa’s sprinting boom is reflected in the number of qualifiers in the sprint events with six men and six women meeting the qualifying mark in the 100m, 200m, and 400m events.

In the men’s 100m, four athletes – national record-holder Akani Simbine, Henricho Bruintjies, Van Niekerk, and London Olympic finalist Anaso Jobodwana – dipped below the qualifying time of 10.16 seconds.

Jobodwana, Van Niekerk, and Simbine also qualified for the half-lap sprint including promising junior athletes Clarence Munyai, and Gift Leotlela.

Sascoc and Athletics SA (ASA) faced a selection conundrum as Jobodwana, who won the bronze medal at last year’s IAAF World Championships in Beijing and raced in the final in London 2012, is making his return from injury.

Jobodwana has recovered from osteitis pubis and was back in the United States where he is said to be approaching top form once again.

Although he might not feature in an official race before the Games, a fit Jobodwana could be a strong medal contender.

Should the powers that be decide not to risk taking Jobodwana to the Games it would open the door for the 18-year-old Leotlela.

Joint women’s 100m record holder Carina Horn, and Alyssa Conley posted qualifying times in the short sprint while the latter also met the mark in the 200m along with World Student champion Palframan.

A full complement of female one-lap sprinters could be represented at the Games after Semenya, Palframan, Tsholofelo Thipe, and 400m hurdler Wenda Nel all met the mark.

Selectors will have to do some serious head scratching before naming the men’s long jump team where six athletes have met the 8.16m qualifying mark.

African champion Ruswahl Samaai and former world junior champion Luvo Manyonga, who have both consistently jumped above eight metres this season should be a shoo-in for selection.

Based purely on his personal best jump of 8.41m, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Zarck Visser, should also get the nod.

However, Visser only recently made his return from a 10-month injury enforced hiatus, and is yet to jump further than eight metres.

Next in line is Stefan Brits, who leapt to a new personal best of 8.22m in the United States in May to reach the qualifying mark.

It was only the second time Brits has jumper further than eight metres – the first time as far back as 2013 – while he has not done so since.