Perfect weather, an enthusiastic crowd and some competitive athletics characterised the third and final day of the Athletics South Africa U16, U18, U20 and U23 Championships at Green Point Stadium over the weekend.
A glut of talent in recent years and months in the men’s short sprints have focused attention on these events in South Africa, notably after the country’s silver medal in the 4x100m relay at the Paris Olympics last year, and several star performers were in action at Green Point.
Following Athletics Gauteng North’s Bayanda Walaza’s 10,26 win over Vaal Triangle’s Karabo Letebele in the 100m final on Day One, 19 year old Johannesburg athlete and current World U20 400m champion, Udeme Okon caused an upset in the 200m.
Competing the U23 age group, he defeated race favourite and 19,99 sec Olympian, Benjamin Richardson, decisively in the final after each had won their respective heats comfortably. Okon’s 20,48 against a 0,4m/s wind was just 0,12 outside his best and too good for Richardson, who took silver in 20,67.
One of South Africa’s most promising athletes, 21 year old Free Stater, Mthi Mthimkulu, came within a whisker of his personal best over 400m set two weeks ago at the ASA Grand Prix1 meeting in Pretoria, with an opening 45,81 in his heat. He was unable to improve on that in the final, but his 46,56 was enough to earn him the gold after bagging the silver at last year’s championships.
Central Gauteng athlete, Bokaba Enoch-Ofentse turned in one of the top performances of the championships with an impressive 8:46 win in the U23 3000m steeplechase – a 20 second improvement on his previous best and marking him as a potential gold medalist at the senior championships next month.
Among the women, no one could stand against the current senior 100m champion, Viwe Jingqi (ACNW), who easily won the U23 200m in 23,35 with Precious Molepo (CGA) taking the silver.
Carise van Rooyen (AFS) and Jesse Nel (WPA) ran strongly to win 800m gold medals in fast times, with Van Rooyen taking the U20 title in 2:05,40 and Nel giving home supporters something to cheer, winning the U16 title in 2:08,68 in a close finish against Boland’s Lara Stander.
