Top athletes could miss Games
OLYMPIC champions Wayde van Niekerk and Caster Semenya were provisionally omitted from South Africa’s World Student Games team yesterday‚ with the University Sport South Africa president saying she was disappointed.
“As of yesterday Wayde‚ Caster and Akani Simbine had not confirmed their participation‚” Ilhaam Groenewald said at the announcement of the team in Pretoria. “I’m very disappointed.” She pointed out there was still time to add them to the roster of about 130 competitors across 10 codes who would represent the country in Taipei from August 19 to 30.
Groenewald said they had qualified at the university championships early in the year‚ and their presence would lift the team into the top 10 of the medals table at the Games‚ also known as the Universiade.
“The only gold medal [Van Niekerk] doesn’t have is a Universiade gold,” Groenewald said.
“We really hope they still change their minds.”
Groenewald pointed out that many past stars had competed at this biennial showpiece‚ including Penny Heyns in 1997‚ the reigning Olympic 100m and 200m breaststroke champion at the time.
With her that year was Marius Corbett‚ who had just won the men’s world javelin crown.
Other stars to have competed include Hezekiel Sepeng‚ Sunette Viljoen‚ Ryk Neethling‚ Llewellyn Herbert and Van Niekerk‚ who took a bronze in the 4x400m relay in 2013.
Van Niekerk‚ Semenya and Simbine will compete at the world championships in London starting on August 4‚ with Van Niekerk and Simbine hoping to finish competing on August 10 and Semenya three days later.
The World Student Games athletics competition begins on August 23.
Ruswahl Samaai‚ who participated at the Rio Games‚ will take part in London and Taiwan.
Other Olympians going to Taipei are Rynardt van Rensburg‚ Justine Palframan‚ Dominique Scott‚ Lynique Prinsloo, Anel Oosthuizen, Banyana defender Refiloe Jane and swimmer Myles Brown.
With 44 members‚ the athletics contingent is the largest‚ with the football teams numbering 40.
Other codes represented are water polo‚ swimming‚ tennis‚ table tennis‚ gymnastics‚ fencing, golf and badminton.