Mokoena to let go of London world champs
Veteran happy to see young ones taking over
With four days before the qualification deadline for the IAAF World Championships, long jumper Khotso Mokoena has resigned to the fact he won’t make Team SA to the global track and field meeting in London next month.
Mokoena, 32, is ranked fourth – with a season best jump of 8.19m – behind Luvo Manyonga (8.65m), Ruswahl Samaai (8.49m) and Zarck Visser (8.22m), who are shoo-in to grab the the three long jump spots for SA in London.
Commonwealth Games 400m hurdles champion Cornel Fredericks could find himself missing the plane to the global track and field meeting in London next month unless the ASA board use its discretion to include them.
Instead, the 30-year-old wants to salvage what is left of a season where his best jump so far is the 8.19m.
“I will let it go,” conceded Mokoena, who has participated in the last six world championships since 2005.
“I’m not in the best shape, changing the coach has done a few changes, I had a discussion with my coach [Ivan Pedroso of Cuba] and he told me that it will take a season before the work can be adapted to my body.
We will continue preparing for Diamond league final [after the world champs] and most importantly is that the work will show up next season.”
Mokoena is already looking beyond this season and has taken it on the chin.
“I need to go and defend my title [triple jump] at the Commonwealth [Games in Gold Coast, Australia next year], the world indoors [in Birmingham, UK] then the World Cup [in Czech Republic].”
“I’m happy to see great young athletes go out and perform in the long jump.
“This was my last year as a long jumper. [I’m] Definitely closing that door,” said Mokoena a few days after his fifth place at the Rabat Diamond League in Morocco at the weekend.
Athletics SA (ASA) is expcted to announce the final team soon as the federation has already listed the preliminary squad.
“All the athletes who are in the preliminary team have achieved the ASA A-standard,” ASA excellence manager Hezekiel Sepeng told Sowetan yesterday.