Hamman clears hurdle for Olympics
SOUTH Africa will have a full complement of men’s 400m hurdlers at the Rio Olympic Games after Le Roux Hamman posted the qualifying time at Tuks Athletics’ opening of their new track yesterday.
The 24-year-old won his race, clocking a new personal best time of 49.24 seconds, to join national record-holder LJ van Zyl and Lindsay Hanekom, who have already met the qualifying mark for the global showpiece.
This was only the second time in his career he had managed to dip below 50 seconds in the one-lap hurdles event, slashing 0.75 seconds off the previous best he posted in Pretoria in March.
“I think my coach and I clicked. We analyse what is good for me, and over the past five weeks we’ve trained for me,” Hamman said.
“My body likes the more lactic stuff, so three lactic sessions a week. I don’t like speed, it is hard for my body. The last 100 metres is where I come through; I don’t have natural speed, I am just fit. So at the start they get away from me, but at the end I surge.”
Hardus Maritz of Namibia followed in second place in a time of 50.15 seconds, with Bernard Pretorius bagging the bronze in 51.27.
Hamman trains with Van Zyl, and women’s 400m hurdles ace Wenda Nel under Irma Reynecke on the same track.
Cornel Fredericks, who has been among the world’s top half-lap hurdlers, could also still add his name to the list of names for the Olympic Games.
Hamman is well aware of the threat of Fredericks, and the tussle for places in one of South Africa’s best events in track and field. “I have three races left in Europe, and I will have to make sure that I stay in contention when I run there,” Hamman said. “I’ve always been fourth in line, so I wasn’t selected for Africa, and I had to look for other races.”
Joint South African women’s 100m record holder Carina Horn dipped below the qualifying mark of 11.32 seconds for the 15th time, winning her race in 11.18s.
“I am happy with the consistency, I just have to be patient to wait for the right race where I can get everything together, but I am happy,” Horn said. “I hope for a medal at the African Champs, so, hopefully, the weather plays along and I am looking forward to that.”
Tsholofelo Thipe followed in second place with 11.85, with Cassidy Williamson finishing in third place in 11.88.
Meanwhile, Luvo Manyonga won the men’s long jump with a best jump of 8.05 metres, recording only one other legal jump of 8.04m.
“I am happy with my jumps. I usually don’t have a distance in mind, I just go for the jump and the rest would come automatically,” Manyonga said. “I am looking forward to the Africa Champs, where there will be good competition there. I had a slightankle injury and I am building from that.”
Commonwealth Games silver medallist Zarck Visser made a successful comeback after an absence of 10 months due to a stress fracture on his take-off leg, taking second place with a best jump of 7.50m.
“Jumping a 7.50m is not too bad. For me to come back from injury, where I’ve been out for a few months, this is the first time I’ve actually jumped. I didn’t even jump in training,” Visser said.
“I want to do a few competitions and see how it goes to get back into jumping state. Where I am now I am just happy to be jumping again, so this is a blessing for me.”