Sprinter in race to make it to US
ANASO Jobodwana wants to be the complete sprinter‚ but he is not sure he will win the race to be at his American wife’s side for the birth of their child in the next few weeks.
“It’s up to the US because [of] the visa situation‚” Jobodwana said, after clocking an unofficial 100m best of 10.07sec at the Gauteng North championships at the Tuks track on Saturday.
“My baby is coming in three to four weeks so hopefully I’ll be able to make it.”
But if he does not get there in time‚ they are making contingency plans.
“We’ve already discussed it‚ FaceTime‚ you know‚ just to be part of that process.”
Jobodwana’s wife‚ Taylor‚ daughter of 1976 Olympic 200m bronze medallist Dwayne Evans‚ has been encouraging her husband from afar.
“She was more worried about me because she knows the stress I’ve been through and everything else, so she was ‘don’t worry about me‚ just focus on just getting back and everything will take care of itself’.
“She’s just staying strong right now – she’s with the family.”
Jobodwana was pleased with his performance.
The overly strong tailwind denied him a personal best‚ but this was his best showing since winning the 200m bronze at the 2015 world championships in Beijing.
After losing the 2014 and 2016 seasons to injuries‚ and last year battling the fear of breaking down again‚ Jobodwana has not seriously doubled in the 100m and 200m since 2013‚ when he won both crowns at the World Student Games.
“I just want to get back into the 100‚ 200 and be like a complete sprinter instead of just doing the 200 because the 100 also helps me with my overall race.”
In 2013, Jobodwana twice went 10.10sec as he tried to become the first South African to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m. –