. . . And there’s lots more for the athletes to worry about

A DEBATE is raging over whether South Africa’s athletes should go into a holding camp in South America before entering the Olympic village in Rio in August.

South Africa’s track and field team in Brazil is likely to be the country’s largest at a Games since at least readmission, with Caster Semenya and Wayde van Niekerk strong medal contenders.

But arriving at the village too early can drain athletes, warn the coaches who believe a holding camp is critical.

They argue that athletes should go to Brazil, on a staggered basis, nine or so days before their competition, first going into the holding camp.

Cash-strapped Athletics SA (ASA) says they will stick to the plan organised by the SA Olympic Committee (Sascoc), which will see the athletes arriving in the village a little more than a week before track and field starts.

That means some athletes will sit in the village for two weeks before competing.

Spending more than four days in the village prior to competition can have negative effects, with athletes being drained by nervous energy, said one coach, who asked not to be named.

“With experiences lots of coaches and athletes have had, we feel that the atmosphere in the village is extremely electric.

“It’s a buzz. You get really psyched up. When you go for meals you see your competition. It can make you anxious.”

The village surroundings can have an effect on training too.

“I know of athletes who have peaked in training soon after arriving in the village, but by the time they got to competition, they were flat.”

A holding camp would also allow athletes to continue training on a quiet track, like they do at home.

The training track at the village would be busy, and there’s also the risk of inexperienced athletes overeating because of the wide range of cuisine available in the village’s 24hour dining hall, especially at the free McDonald’s outlet.

ASA president Aleck Skhosana argued that the psychological effects of being in the village depended on “the mental side of each athlete”.

Skhosana added that it was important for athletes to spend as long as possible with their personal coaches rather than going into holding camp early.

“Don’t take athletes away from personal coaches,” he said.

Coaches countered that athletes would not leave South Africa earlier, but rather arrive at the village later.

Personal coaches travelling to Brazil would get easier access to the athletes at a holding camp than they might at the village training track, where they need accreditation.

Athletes wanting to train at the warm-up track at the Olympic athletics stadium also risk a lengthy travelling time from the village, estimated to be 90 minutes one-way by bus in full traffic, although that would be reduced once the dedicated Games lane on Rio’s roads is opened.

ASA will forward a provisional South African track and field team to Sascoc after the African championships end on Sunday.

He confirmed athletes would still be able to qualify, or prove their fitness, before the qualifying window ended on July 11. But proof of fitness seems vague.

Rynardt van Rensburg achieved his Olympic 800m qualifying time on July 1 last year, although his times this year have been slow.

What must he do to secure selection? “We’re a little bit unsure,” he responded.

Requirements included competing at the South African championships in April, which he had done, he said. “Three weeks ago we decided to make the qualifying time again.”

Some local athletes are seeking a first qualifying time to make the team, but the rest shouldn’t have to guess at this late stage.

It’s a buzz. You get really psyched up. When you go for meals you see your competition. It can make you anxious