Jobodwana ‘personal best’ ruled out

● Anaso Jobodwana posted the fastest 100m time of his career as he stormed to victory at the Gauteng North championships in Pretoria yesterday.

His 10.07sec on the Tuks track was denied as a personal best because of the 3.3m-per-second tailwind, but the way Jobodwana turned his head to eyeball rival Henricho Bruintjies mid-race, there’s no doubt there’s a sub-10 in his lean frame.

Bruintjies was second in 10.15 with 19year-old Thembo Monareng third in 10.18.

Wind aside, this was Jobodwana’s strongest showing since he took the 200m bronze behind Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin at the 2015 world championships in Beijing.

“I always try to relax, I was telling myself — even coach Thabo Mathebedi was saying — just be yourself.

“I was just trying to get through my phases, I was already satisfied what I did in the semifinal,” said Jobodwana, who went 10.12 in the previous round, also with an “illegal” wind.

Jobodwana’s official best is 10.10 from 2013 when he won the sprint double at the World Student Games.

Chance to build

“I ran in January and my times were shaky so this is better than my goal I expected for February so it’s a good place to build from.”

Jobodwana will take on Clarence Munyai over 200m at the first meeting of the Athletix Grand Prix Series at Ruimsig on Thursday evening.

Munyai pulled out of yesterday’s 100m final after clocking a 10.10 personal best in the semifinals, with a “legal” wind at his back.

“You saw Clarence — he’s looking nice and we’ve got a bit of a rivalry going on and both of us want to win,” said Jobodwana, who will also take on Gatlin over 150m in the second meeting at the same Tuks track on March 8.

“I don’t want to focus on times right now because it might just throw me off my game. I just want to focus on actually executing again like I used to execute because it’s been a long time — and to get that mental block out in the 200m.”

Jobodwana’s 2016 season was destroyed by injury, and last year he spent much of the season proving to himself that he wouldn’t break down again.