Strong SA team to mean business at the first World Cup

CASTER Semenya and Justine Palframan will compete in three events each for South Africa at the inaugural athletics World Cup in London next month.

Athletics SA (ASA) named a starstudded team for the July 13-15 showpiece in the Olympic stadium‚ with new US-based track star Derick Mokaleng doing the men’s 400m in place of injured Wayde van Niekerk.

Veteran Khotso Mokoena makes a return to the national team after missing the world championships at the same venue last year.

Semenya is down for the women’s 800m and 1 500m‚ and Palframan competes in the 200m and 400m‚ with both also in the 4x400m relay squad.

The only other team member doing two individual events is Ischke Senekal‚ chosen for the women’s shotput and discus.

Several athletes‚ however‚ are down for individual and relay races. These athletes include Akani Simbine (100m, 4x100m)‚ Clarence Munyai (200m, 4x100m)‚ Mokeleng (400m, 4x400m)‚ Lindsey Hanekom (400m hurdles, 4x400m)‚ Carina Horn (women’s 100m, 4x100m) and Wenda Nel (women’s 400m hurdles, 4x400m).

ASA have chosen some relayspecific runners‚ but the five-man 4x100m squad is missing two of the men who helped SA run to the 38.24sec national record and a Commonwealth Games silver in Gold Coast in April.

The team is:

Men: Akani Simbine (100m)‚ Clarence Munyai (200m)‚ Derick Mokaleng (400m)‚ Rynardt van Rensburg (800m)‚ Jerry Motsau (800m)‚ Antonio Alkana (110m hurdles)‚ Lindsey Hanekom (400m hurdles)‚ Chris Moleya (high jump)‚ Neil Gillomee (pole-vault)‚ Luvo Manyonga (long jump)‚ Kgotso Mokoena (triple jump)‚ Orazio Cremona (shotput)‚ Victor Hogan (discus)‚ Tshepang Makhethe (hammer throw)‚ Phil-Mar van Rensburg (javelin), 4x100m relay: Simbine‚ Munyai‚ Roscoe Engel‚ Simon Magakwe‚ Henricho Bruintjies. 4x400m relay: Mokeleng‚ Hanekom‚ Thapelo Phora‚ Pieter Conradie‚ Zakhitine Nene

Women: Carina Horn (100m)‚ Justine Palframan (200m, 400m)‚ Caster Semenya (800m, 1500m)‚ Rikenette Steenkamp (100m hurdles)‚ Wenda Nel (400m hurdles)‚ Julia du Plessis (high jump)‚ Christy Nel (pole-vault)‚ Lynique Beneke (long jump)‚ Patience Ntshingila (triple jump)‚ Ischke Senekal (shotput, discus throw)‚ Margo Chene Pretorius (hammerthrow)‚ Sunette Viljoen (javelin); 4x100m relay: Horn‚ Tebogo Mamatu‚ Lente Pieterse‚ Cassidy Williamson‚ Tamsin Thomas; 4x400m relay: Palframan‚ Semenya‚ Nel‚ Ariane Nel‚ Rorisang Ramonye. —