Hot invite for 400m relay team
SOUTH Africa’s 4x400m relay team has beaten their more illustrious 4x100m counterparts off the mark in terms of attracting international attention – getting invited to the season-opening Diamond League meet in Doha on May 6.
“We have received an invitation for the 4x400m team to Qatar,” Athletics SA (ASA) president Aleck Skhosana said yesterday when asked about efforts to qualify both teams for the Rio Olympics in August.
“The tricky part is that all relay runners must also qualify in their individual events.”
That’s not a problem in the 4x100m, where already four runners have qualified – 200m world championship bronze medallist Anaso Jobodwana, SA 100m co-record-holders Akani Simbine and Henricho Bruintjies and 110m hurdler Antonio Alkana.
“It’s possible we could have six later in the year,” added Skhosana, saying US-based Ncincilili Titi and new young star Gift Leotlela could run themselves into the mix.
But the team is still waiting to hear about requests sent out to meet organisers for invitations, Skhosana said.
The 4x400m team, which would have to be anchored by 400m world champion Wayde van Niekerk, still needs to get four athletes qualified for Rio.
Van Niekerk and 400m hurdler LJ van Zyl are the only two so far, but ASA is hoping Cornel Fredericks, the form hurdler of 2014, will get there, along with a youngster like Berend Koekemoer, whose personal best is just outside the 45.40sec 400m qualifying mark.
Two African nations are already on track for spots in the 4x400m at the Games, Botswana and Kenya with times of 2min, 59.95sec and 3:00.34.
The SA team will probably need at least 3:01.00 to make it to Brazil this year.
The 4x100m outfit, which was disqualified at the 2015 world championships for dropping the baton, will need to get close to the 38.35 SA record they posted at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
“Practice makes perfect,” said Skhosana. “We will appoint an experienced coach who knows relays, as well as a manager.”
ASA has called a meeting for next Saturday with elite athletes and coaches to discuss qualifying options and other issues.
This was a “consultative process”, he added.