Jobodwana closing fast on 200 mark

MORNE Nagel, the South African 200m record holder, is ready to relinquish his title to new sprint sensation Anaso Jobodwana, he admitted yesterday.

Nagel, 35, holds the SA record with a time of 20,11 seconds notched up in 2002.

This week Jobodwana clinched a double at the World Student Games in Kazan, Russia, by winning both the 100m and 200m titles. He clocked a time of 20 seconds flat, but the time could not be registered as the national record because the following wind was too strong.

“[ Jobodwana] is very close to breaking the SA record. It would really be great for him to do it. He is in great shape, and is likely to break the record even before the upcoming World Champs,” Nagel said.

The 20-year-old will have another shot at the record when he races at the IAAF World Champs in Moscow next month, but he downplays suggestions that he has his eyes set on the record.

Jobodwana has been in good form this season, with impressive performances for Jackson State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition in the build-up to the student Games.

At the NCAA, the former Selborne College pupil again narrowly missed out on a 200m national record after having run a time of 20,13 – 0,02 seconds outside Nagel’s record.

“Jobodwana is very good for SA athletics, especially if he can break records,” said the record holder.

Does Jobodwana have what it takes to secure a medal for SA at the next Olympics in Brazil in 2016?

“It is still maybe early days to say, because the Olympics is a different story. He needs to keep running better times and develop some power,” said Nagel. He agreed with Jobodwana, who sees himself as a better 200m runner than a 100m sprinter.

“He has the build – he is tall and thin – that suits the 200m. But he is running some good 100m times. Although he maybe needs more power for the 100m, he has shown that he perhaps does have it in him,” he said.