Staff Reporter.
South African athletes enjoyed a superb weekend, with some world-class performances achieved at home and abroad.
At the University Sport SA Championships held at the University of Johannesburg, sprinter Gift Leotlela and shot put specialist Kyle Blignaut joined the growing list of athletes who have qualified for this year’s Tokyo Olympic Games.
Leotlela won the men’s 100m final in 9.94 seconds on Friday, taking another step forward as he continued his impressive comeback from injuries which had threatened to derail his young professional career.
Leotlela who turned 23 last Wednesday, gave himself the perfect belated birthday present on Friday by posting his first legal sub-10 second time to win the 100m title at the University Sports South Africa (USSA) championships in Johannesburg.
The 23 year-old athlete, a former World Athletics U20 Championships silver medallist in the 200m event, equalled the second fastest time ever run by a South African, crossing the line just 0.05 outside the national record of 9.89 held by Akani Simbine.
“I had a good start in my semi-final. Over the latter stages of the race, I purposely slowed down to save my legs. In the final, my only goal was to ‘execute’ my technique to perfection. I again had a good start. Then it was a case of running flat out until I crossed the finish line,” Leotlela told the Tuks Sport club website.
“It feels amazing.”
Blignaut, meanwhile, secured the gold medal in the men’s shot put final on Saturday. The former world junior champion set a personal best of 21.21m to win another tight battle against Jason van Rooyen (20.87m) as they continued their friendly rivalry in the build-up to the Tokyo Games.
In the United States, distance runner Dominique Scott-Efurd finished ninth in the women’s 10 000m race at the World Athletics Continental Tour meeting in Irvine, California.
Scott-Efurd completed the 25-lap race in 31.41.16, improving her career best of 31:43.18 which had been set in May 2019.
“On behalf of the board, I am very happy with the performances recorded this weekend,” said James Moloi, the President of Athletics South Africa. “It has not been easy for our athletes to train and access elite competitions during the entire lockdown. It is now a race against time for many athletes seeking as much competitions as they can wherever they are accessible.
“We will be meeting soonest for our maiden board meeting where we will place the matter of how to assist our athletes’ preparation and look at what opportunities are out there. Athletes and their coaches are encouraged to remain focussed as we have entered the now or never phase.”