Manyonga’s star shines brightest

SOUTH Africa’s Commonwealth champion Luvo Manyonga, of Port Elizabeth, was the best of the rainbow nation’s four athletes at Saturday’s IAAF Diamond League meeting in Shanghai, China.

In conditions made difficult by driving rain, his star shone brightest as he won long jump gold with a world-leading 8.56m. Prior to his winning leap on Saturday, he had a best effort of 8.43m at this competition.

China hero Yuhao Shi had laid down a marker with an 8.43m second-jump effort before Manyonga squared things up.

In trying to catch up to Manyonga, Shi landed awkwardly and screamed in pain, clutching his lower leg before being stretchered off. The other two South African athletes in action were Sunette Viljoen – a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist – in the javelin, and 800m specialist Rynardt van Rensburg, the only one of the group who was not part of Team South Africa in Australia last month.

Neither had their best outing as Viljoen ended sixth with 60.79m, her best of the night. The winner was Chinese athlete Huihui Lyu, who set a meeting record of 66.85m.

Van Rensburg ended eighth in the two-lapper with a time of 1 minute 46.57 seconds as Kenyan Wycliffe Kinyamal won in a meeting record 1:43.91.

The third of 14 legs in the IAAF Diamond League series will be held in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday May 26. – teamsa.co.za