Semenya holding fort
DOUBLE BLOW: VILJOEN, NEL PULLED OFF START LISTS AFTER JET LAG FEARS
Nel disappointed because she had no say in the matter.
Caster Semenya will lead a lone South African charge in Eugene, Oregon this weekend, after compatriots Sunette Viljoen and Wenda Nel were withdrawn from the start lists on the eve of the Prefontaine Classic.
In a statement released by her management team, it was revealed Viljoen had reconsidered her participation at the third leg of the Diamond League series, citing the 25-hour travel time each way, which would require 10 days for the Olympic javelin silver medallist to recover fully from “severe jet lag”.
With 10 days between the Diamond League event and her next competition at a European permit meeting in Prague – one of seven events left on Viljoen’s schedule before the World Championships in London in August – she had opted to sacrifice Diamond League points and focus on the European season after discussions with coach Tersius Liebenberg.
“We are chasing a bigger goal of gold in London,” said Viljoen’s manager Munya Maraire.
“Sunette’s training is on course to secure a good performance in Prague.”
Nel, meanwhile, had been included in the provisional entries for the women’s 400m hurdles contest but the African champion was scratched from the updated list released on Thursday.
“Unfortunately I’ve been pulled from the race with no clear explanation,” Nel confirmed.
“I received the message (on Wednesday) morning so I didn’t get on the plane.”
In their absence, Semenya was set to line up in the women’s 800m race tonight.
Semenya, who won the two-lap Diamond League series in 2016, was due to face six of the women she beat in the Olympic final last year.
She was nonetheless the clear favourite in an attempt to stretch her early lead in the campaign after clocking the fastest time in the world this year (1:56.61) to win the opening leg in Doha earlier this month.
Wesley Bo on
Even a notoriously unpredictable ultra-marathon requires certain traits from potential title contenders, including natural talent, dedication to a carefully planned training programme and an athlete’s ability to beat their body into submission.
When considering a list of favourites, however, it is experience more than anything which earns an athlete a decisive nod, and with this in mind, Ludwick Mamabolo stands out as perhaps the No 1 contender to lift the Up run crown between Durban and Pietermaritzburg next week.
The 2012 winner, Mamabolo has finished second on the Down run three times, and while he has never finished better than fourth on the Up run, his consistency has made him the most competitive Comrades runner in recent memory.
Similarly, Claude Moshiywa has earned six gold medals in the last seven editions of the race, and the 2013 Up run winner will be eager to become the first SA man to win the race more than once since Bruce Fordyce in 1990.
Other contenders include Gift Kelehe, the defending Up run champion, local star Bongmusa Mthembu, the 100km World Championships silver medallist, and David Gatebe, who produced a superb performance to shatter the Down run record last year.
A breeding ground for dark horses, the race will also attract a number of outside contenders led by the likes of powerful Polokwane athlete Rufus Photo and former All Africa Games marathon champion Johannes Kekana.
The women’s race took a massive blow this week when Caroline Wostmann withdrew due to injury, but a couple of athletes have emerged among the favourites in what is still expected to be a hardfought battle.
The elite line-up, ironically, is spearheaded by an American athlete who has never even finished the race.
Having won the 50km and 100km world titles in 2015, Camille Herron brings a fresh element to the contest and if she times it properly she’ll be difficult to beat.
The local contingent will be led by Charne Bosman, who may not have the speed of some of her opponents, but is as tough as they get.
After winning the 2016 race, Bosman should again be lurking in wait if others go out hard and falter in the latter stages.
And as she proved a year ago by chasing down a cramping Wostmann, when Bosman strikes, she makes no mistakes.