Letitia smashes SA mark again
BIG HEAVE: BUT WELL SHORT OF QUALIFYING STANDARD
Taipei, Gold Coast on Janse van Vuuren’s 2017, 2018 agenda.
While some of her compatriots will be targeting world records in other disciplines this season, and she admits she has no such lofty goals at this stage of her career, Letitia Janse van Vuuren is breaking new ground at the bottom end of the South African athletics spectrum.
The 20-year-old smashed the national women’s hammer throw record for the second time this year when she launched a 63.82m heave at the Sasol-NWU International track and field meeting in Sasolburg on Tuesday.
Though she moved nearly three metres clear of Annemie Smith in the all-time SA rankings, Janse van Vuuren was well short of the 71m qualifying standard for the World Championships in London in August.
She remained nearly six metres shy of the African record (69.70m) held by Amy Sene of Senegal, and more than 19m short of the world record (82.98m) set by Polish athlete Anita Wlodarczyk last season.
Eager to compete at the World Student Games in Taipei later this season, and the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast next year, she admitted a place at the biennial global championships remained out of her reach.
“I think that’s still a bit out of my league, but hopefully soon I’ll be competing with the big guys,” Janse van Vuuren said.
The North-West University bachelor of science student, who earned bronze at the 2015 African Junior Championships, is coached by Basie Koen at the HTS hammer throw academy.
Her training partners include former Commonwealth Games champion Chris Harmse, who will target a record 22nd consecutive national title in Potchefstroom later this month, and 21-year-old prospect Tshepang Makhethe.
By learning from the country’s top throwers, Janse van Vuuren believed she could make further progress and continue to lift the national standard in the women’s event.
“If I work hard this winter, and put in a good winter programme, maybe next year I’ll be over 70 metres.”