Manyonga doubtful for Paarl
PORT Elizabeth-based world long jump champion Luvo Manyonga is doubtful for the third and final leg of the Athletix Grand Prix at the Dal Josaphat Stadium in Paarl on Thursday.
Manyonga‚ who came first in the men’s long jump event at the South African track and field championships at the Tuks Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday night with a leap of 8.41m‚ said he was dealing with personal issues that might prevent him from performing.
“There is nothing confirmed yet. It would be great for me to compete back at home but we have to wait‚” he said.
Manyonga beat Rushwal Samaai and Zarck Visser‚ who finished second and third respectively with efforts of 8.21m and 8.07m‚ in Pretoria at the weekend.
“I am not sure when there will be clarity on my participation in Paarl‚” he said.
“I have some personal stuff that is going back and forth at the moment which I cannot disclose to the public.
“Anyway‚ I felt competition here at the championships was great.”
Meanwhile, Caster Semenya continued to dominate the local scene after running her fastest-ever time on South African soil in the 800m at the Tuks Stadium on Saturday night.
The three-time 800m world champion won her race in one minute‚ 57.80 seconds to beat Gena Lofstrand (2:05.82) and Lee-Ann Blake (2:07.73).
Semenya is hoping to take her blistering form to the third and final leg of the Athletix Grand Prix on Thursday.
“We need to run almost the same pace here in South Africa like in the European season while at the same time we are doing it for the people‚” she said‚ adding that running at sea level in Paarl did not worry her.
“For me it is not about altitude and sea level‚ it’s about what can I do best. It is about how fast I want to run because I try by all means to be consistent.
“I work very hard to be consistent. It is almost a decade running 800m and I think I am more mature.”
The other highlight of the weekend was 17-year-old Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool matriculant Zeney van der Walt‚ who broke the South African junior 400m hurdles record that has stood for 35 years.
Van der Walt‚ the reigning world youth champion‚ obliterated the longstanding record sprint legend Myrthe Bothma (55.74) set in 1983 in Bloemfontein as a 19-year-old.
Wenda Nel won the 400m hurdles race in 55.01 but Van der Walt finished second in 55.05 to also rank fourth on the South African all-time rankings in the 400m hurdles. – TimesLIVE