Other Sport
Wind threatens SA meet
2009-03-13 07:47
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Wilhelm de Swardt - Die Burger
Oudtshoorn - Please can the wind die down.
That is the big wish of every athlete participating from 10:00 on Friday at the South African athletics meeting at Coetzenburg in Stellenbosch.
Last year all the athletes told of how a powerful wind blew away their athletics dreams.
There will be eight titles up for grabs on Friday. Hammer thrower Chris Harmse and long jumpers Janice Josephs and Khotso Mokoena can produce some of the highlights.
The hammer throwing final at the world championship meeting will for the first time not take place on a Sunday. That means Harmse will be able to participate if he qualifies. He refuses to participate on Sundays because of religious convictions.
Harmse will, however, have to produce something special if he wants to participate in Berlin in August. His best distance this year has been 74.09m, which is 3.41 short of the qualifying A requirement.
Harmse, however, is not worried. According to him his training programme has been designed for him to be at his best overseas in May.
“It’s important that I don’t peak too soon,” he said.
Josephs (6.75m) and Mokoena (8.15m) have already bettered the qualifying requirements.
Josephs wants to reach seven metres. She has been working hard at her run-up the past few weeks.
“You know, I’m half an arm’s length from 7m. I just have to do the little things right for a change, then I will reach 7m,” she said.
Mokoena owes himself a big jump. He has been reaching distances of 8.10 and 8.25 for the past two years. It is good, but not good enough if he wants to win a medal at the world championship.