Chase on for Rio at Night Series

IN-FORM hurdlers Wenda Nel and LJ van Zyl will drop the barriers later today, as they work on their flat speed in the men’s and women’s 400m events at the third leg of the Athletics SA Night Series in Port Elizabeth.

Nel, who produced a superb 54.84 seconds victory in her first 400m hurdles race of the year at the SA Senior Championships in Stellenbosch at the weekend, hoped to take another step forward ahead of the upcoming international campaign.

She will line up against World Student Games one-lap champion Justine Palframan and Youth Olympics 400m hurdles gold medallist Gezelle Magerman.

“I use the 400m as training, so I don’t put any expectations on myself,” said Nel, who added that she was grateful for the opportunity to get a flat race in during the domestic season.

Van Zyl, who held off former training partner Cornel Fredericks to win the national hurdles title in 49.34, will also go in the flat one-lap race at NMMU Stadium.

He lines up against a strong field including Olympic 800m silver medallist Nijel Amos of Botswana and a host of 400m specialists spearheaded by Shaun de Jager.

Another hurdles specialist, Antonio Alkana, will go into the blocks as the firm favourite in the men’s 110m hurdles contest, after clocking an impressive 13.40 for victory at Coetzenburg Stadium on Friday.

An exciting race is on the cards in the men’s 1 500m event. Folavio Sehohle, Dumisane Hlaselo, Johan Cronje and Jerry Motsau, who finished in the top four in Stellenbosch, are expected to target the qualifying standard of 3:36.20 for the Rio Olympics.

Another Olympic hopeful, Lebogang Phalula, is set to attempt a 1 500m/5 000m double in the women’s middle distance races at the two-hour meeting.

Six field events, shot put, hammer throw and javelin for men and triple jump, pole vault, and discus throw for women will feature on the programme.

The first two legs were at the Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria and Cape Town.

The venue for the fourth leg, which will consist of only relays, has not been confirmed.

The original plan was to hold the event at the newly re-laid track in Kings Park, Durban.

However the track is still not up to scratch. The full programme is: 6pm: pole vault (women), hammer throw (men) 6.30pm: 400m hurdles (men), shot put (men), javelin (men), triple jump (women) 6.40pm: 400m hurdles (women) 6.50pm: 1 500m (women) 7pm: 200m (women), discus (women) 7.05pm: 200m (men) 7.10pm: 400m (women) 7.15pm: 400m (men) 7.20pm: 1 500m (men) 7.30pm: 5 000m (men) 7.50pm: 110m hurdles (men) 7.55pm: 110m hurdles (women). —