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SA's Mogawane may face Bolt

Johannesburg - They won't trouble the best in the world in their events, but three South Africans will be in search of fast times at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic on Thursday.

South African 400m champion Ofentse Mogawane could face the fastest sprinter in the world if he is drawn in the same heat as Jamaica's Usain Bolt in a rarely contested 300m race.

Mogawane, 28, has been in good form this season, having clocked 45.51 seconds over 400m in Germiston in April. But even if he's drawn in a separate heat from Bolt, the South African is likely to struggle against a 15-man field - split into two heats - that includes African 400m record holder Gary Kikaya of the Congo and world indoor 400m bronze medallist Jamaal Torrance of the United States.

And while Magawane will look to hold his own as Bolt chases Michael Johnson's 30.85 seconds world best - the IAAF does not offically recognise 300m world records - the other two South Africans in the provisional entry lists will also want to take advantage of a world class field.

Twin sisters Lebo and Lebogang Phalula, 26, will make their much anticipated 10 000m debuts on the track in a field headed by Ethiopian Meselech Malkamu.

The World Championships silver medallist holds the second fastest time in history, courtesy of the 29:53.80 she ran in Utrecht last year, and clocked 14:31.91 to place third over 5 000m at the Golden League meeting in Shanghai last weekend. The pacemakers will look to set a fast tempo in Ostrava as she hunts down the meeting record of 31:03.37 set by fellow Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba two years ago.

Malkamu's strongest challenge is expected to come from another two debutants in 19-year-old Ethiopian Belaynesh Oljira, who clocked 31:07 over 10km on the road in Marseille earlier this month, and Jessica Augusto from Portugal who also set a personal best on the road when she finished second in Manchester less than two weeks ago in 31:47.

Of the two South Africans, Lebo is likely to produce the better performance, having shown her form this season in setting a 9:13.49 personal best over 3 000m in Potchefstroom in March.

Lebogang, better know for her speed in middle distance events, clocked 4:11.10 over 1 500m at the South African Championships in Durban in March and will look to stick with her sibling as they chase the clock.

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