Mulaudzi kicks off season

Johannesburg - South African world 800-metres champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi kicked off his season with a second place finish at the Aviva International indoor athletics meeting in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday.

Mulaudzi, who was chosen to captain the Commonwealth Select team against the United States, Britain, Germany, Sweden and Canada, made a bid for victory on the penultimate lap, but was upstaged by 21-year-old German Robin Schembera.

The South African, who clinched the gold medal at the world outdoor championships in Berlin last year, took the lead from Karjuan Williams of the US with 300m to go.

Schembera, however, hit the front on the back straight and pulled away to win comfortably in 1:48.55.

Mulaudzi was almost a second behind, clocking 1:49.45, with Anton Asplund of Sweden finishing third in 1:49.83.

World indoor long jump champion Khotso Mokoena, the only other South African invited to take part, withdrew before the start of his event.