Munyai motors to new South African 200m record

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CLARENCE MUNYAI celebrated his own personal moon landing, shattering the South African 200m record with a time of 19.69 seconds at the SA Track and Field Championships in Pretoria yesterday.

The 20-year-old Munyai took a massive 0.15-second chunk off the previous mark world 400m record-holder Wayde van Niekerk posted in Jamaica in June 2016.

It was pure bliss for Munyai as he covered almost another half-lap after crossing the finish line celebrating his greatest achievement in a career that is still in its infancy.

“I knew the conditions were going to be good and I saw from Thursday the people are running really fast times,” Munyai said. “I told myself to come here and put on a show like they did yesterday.

“I knew I had 19.8 in my legs but when I saw 19.7, I was like, eish, I didn’t expect that, so I am happy.

“I’m just 20 and I mean a 19.69 is a massive achievement and I never thought I was going to run that quick at this age.”

Munyai slashed almost halfa-second off his previous best – the South African junior record of 20.10 – he set a year ago at the same venue.

His time launched him to 10th place on the world all-time performers’ list, and is also the fastest time in the world since 2015 when Jamaican icon Usain Bolt clocked 19.55 to win the world title in Beijing.

Munyai became only the fourth South African to dip below 20 seconds over the halflap sprint, after Van Niekerk, Anaso Jobodwana, and Akani Simbine.

Long- time coach Hennie Kriel took his athlete aside shortly after he walked off the track where they shared a word before hugging.

Kriel, who strikes a Dirty Harry figure, found it difficult to hold back the emotion of his charge’s achievement.

“I didn’t expect a 19.6 if everything went well – I was expecting a 19.9, did you expect it?” Kriel said. “Personally it means a lot, but more for the boy and local sprinting this is fantastic. It shows you the potential, and dealing with Clarence, he tends to be an up-and-down person. For him to stay in that zone is a challenge.”

Kriel said Munyai’s race during the morning heats where he posted a time of 20.23 was the best performance he has ever seen from the athlete.

“When he started with the warm-up I called him ‘ Clarence, I was thinking about something, you are probably the fastest bend runner in the world, if not the fastest at least in the top five,” Kriel said.

“He showed it again today. I’ve never, ever seen him in a race in the last three years not coming out of the bend first.”

Carina Horn, who broke the South African 100m record on Thursday in the semi-final with a time of 11.03, reclaimed her national title for the first time since 2015.

South Africa’s fastest women crossed the line in a fast 11.08 in the final in cool conditions with a resurgent Tebogo Mamathu hard at her heels.

Mamathu improved her personal best three times over the last two days, finishing second behind Horn in 11.27 with Cassidy Williamson bagging bronze in 11.31.

Bringing the evening to an emphatic end, Simon Magakwe won his seventh 100m title with a time of 10.07.

It is the first time since Magakwe had served a twoyear ban for a doping violation that he has stepped onto the podium at the championships.

Teenager Thando Dlodlo, who set a new South African junior record of 10.11 on Thursday won his first senior national medal finishing second behind him in 10.15.

Former South African record- holder Henricho Bruintjies had to be content with the bronze medal, 0.01 behind Dlodlo.

Simon Magakwe