Only six women included in SA preliminary team for world champs
JOHANNESBURG: Athletics SA (ASA) seems to be applying double standards in their selection for the IAAF World Championships in London in August, after it released a preliminary team for the showpiece yesterday.
While track and field athletes have to reach the A-qualifying standards to earn selection, the female marathoners’ were pencilled in based on B-standards.
ASA announced a preliminary squad of 21 athletes for the championships, made up of 15 men and only six women.
Close to 20 track and field athletes who have posted B-qualifying standards – which is the official IAAF criteria – including four athletes who have earned wildcard spots for winning continental titles in Durban last year, did not make the preliminary squad.
Marathoners Mapaseka Makhanya and Jenna Challenor have both been included, based on times that did not meet the A-qualifying standard.
ASA president Aleck Skhosana stressed it was only a preliminary squad which could see names added or omitted when a final team is announced later this month.
“That is still a provisional team... and it is for people to comment and ask the relevant questions,” Skhosana said.
Defending 400m world champion Wayde van Niekerk and Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya will be spearheading the team.
Releasing the preliminary team to its members, ASA said a final team would be entered by the IAAF deadline of July 23.
“Before the final entry date, ASA will have to decide which of the four long jumpers, who qualified in the men’s category, on the A-Standard of the ASA qualifying standards, will be entered to represent South Africa at the 2017 IAAF World Championships,” ASA said in a circular.
“According to the IAAF Rules for the competition, only three athletes can be entered per country in each event.”
The team also includes four 200m athletes, while each nation is only allowed three per event.
Six South African men’s athletes in total have posted qualifying times in the halflap event, including Lebakeng Sesele and Gift Leotlela.
In the circular ASA said it was waiting on the IAAF to see whether a South African 4x100m relay team – which they claim to be ranked seventh in the world – would be invited to participate in London.
According to the IAAF’s qualifying criteria, teams automatically qualify “as being one of the first eight placed teams at the 2017 IAAF World Relays in The Bahamas”.
Three of the teams – Canada, Great Britain, and the Netherlands – did not finish the race, and technically did not place in The Bahamas, although they did make it past the semi-finals.
South African is currently ranked ninth of the remaining best ranked teams since the qualifying window opened at the beginning of January 2016.