SA runner switches to fast lane
Jobodwana announces move to professional ranks after good showing against Usain Bolt
USAIN Bolt stole the 200m show at the world championships in Moscow last night, and South African sprinter Anaso Jobodwana ended sixth in 20.14sec.
Jobodwana again missed the 20.11 SA record, as well as a medal — he was a 10th of a second off the bronze pace but at least improved on his eighth position at the Olympics.
US-based Jobodwana afterwards announced he had turned professional in a bid to go even faster.
“There’s still a lot of flaws that I need to work on so I needed to make that transition to being a pro where I can have a lot more one-on-one work,” said Jobodwana, who competed inside apacked Luzhniki stadium last night.
The fans produced an ear-
There’s still a lot of flaws that I need to work on so I needed that transition
splitting roar befitting top international competition.
There was thunder when Kseniya Ryzhova overtook American Ashley Spencer on the third lap of the women’s 4x400m relay final. The screaming partisan crowd almost carried Antonina Krivoshapka down the final straight as she fended off Francena McCorory to take the relay gold.
The spectators also went wild for Bolt, who clocked the year’s fastest time of 19.66. Fellow Jamaican Warren Weir was second in 19.79 and American Curtis Mitchell third in 20.04.
Jobodwana, the only one in the field without a sub-20 time, entered the paid ranks last month after becoming the first man in 38 years to win the World Student Games sprint double.
He has switched universities from Jackson in Mississippi to Central Florida in Orlando to be with new coach Derrick White.
“I’ve been there for three weeks and it’s been a step up from everything I’ve done.”
Jobodwana is contracted to sportswear company Nike, and has an agent, Charles Wells, who once handled disgraced US sprinter Marion Jones.
Being pro means he will no longer be allowed to compete on the competitive NCAA college circuit, where strict rules prevent athletes from accepting endorsement deals, appearance fees or even prize money.
“With college there’s a chance of getting burnt out because you have to run every weeks,” said Jobodwana. “And sometimes they even make you run events that you don’t really run so they can get points.”
White has high hopes for Jobodwana.
“He’s learning fast … Once we get into the weight room and get stronger and bring the tech- nique, I think South Africa as well as the whole circuit will see a vast improvement.
“We’re going to get him a lot stronger … so he can be more explosive out the blocks.”
Jobodwana impressed several athletics people this week, notably Bolt himself. The Jamaican told him he would “do something” once he improved his strength.
If confirmation that Jobodwana has become a permanent fixture on this circuit was needed, it might be the fist-bumps he exchanged with Bolt.
The athletics showpiece ends today. SA’s last chances for medals lie with Sunette Viljoen, in the women’s javelin (starting 2pm SA time), and Johan Cronje, in the men’s 1 500m (3.25pm).
In yesterday’s marathon Hendrick Ramaala, the Athletics SA vice-president, and inexperi-
With college there’s a chance of burn out because you run weekly
enced Sibusiso Nzima finished well off the pace.
Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda claimed the world title in 2hr 09min 51sec, followed by three Ethiopians, Lelisa Desisa (2:10.12), Tadese Tola (2:10.23) and Tsegay Kebede (2:10.47).
Nzima, struggling with leg cramps after 30km, was 43rd in 2:26.32 and Ramaala was 47th in 2:30.23.
Ramaala is thinking of improving SA’s marathon. Pickings have been thin since Josia Thugwane’s Olympic gold in 1996.
“Training for a summer marathon in a South African winter doesn’t make sense. Uganda put all their efforts into this thing and they’re shining. We were better than them once.”