SA show their power in champs

Shaking off the troubles they have faced, hampered by travel delays, humid conditions and a bumpy track at Stephen Keshi Stadium, the South African team showed their class as a continental track and field giant on yesterday’s second day of the African Athletics Championships.

The national team opened their medal count by grabbing multiple podium places.

In the men’s 100m final, Akani Simbine and Simon Magakwe had shaky starts, but they came back to earn gold and bronze.

Simbine burst over the line in 10.25 seconds, adding the African title to the Commonwealth crown he won earlier this season.

Magakwe, a former SA record holder who spent two years on the sidelines for an anti-doping rule violation, was disappointed after stumbling out the blocks but he was satisfied to bounce back by earning bronze in 10.35.

“We wanted to come out here and show Africa that we’re the dominant country in sprinting, and we just want to keep growing,” said Simbine, who booked his place in the African team for the Continental Cup in Ostrava next month.

In other disciplines early in the afternoon session, Rikenette Steenkamp secured silver in the women’s 100m hurdles final in 13.18, and teenage prodigy Kayle Blignaut took bronze in the men’s shot put with a 19.05m heave.

Further medals were expected in the afternoon session, with the likes of long jumpers Luvo Manyonga and Ruswahl Samaai on show, along with discus throwers Victor Hogan and Werner Visser.