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Johannesburg - The 200m at next month’s Athletix Grand Prix Meeting in Roodepoort (Thursday, March 1) boasts an impressive line-up.
Among the star athletes competing are the South African trio of world 200m bronze medallist Anaso Jobodwana, world junior 300m record holder Clarence Munyai and Retshidisitswe Mlenga, while America’s world junior champion in the 200m in 2014, Trentavis Friday, will also take part.
Friday’s compatriot, Justin Walker, will be his training partner.
“My strength is the final surge,” said Friday, who has a best of 20.33.
“I am confident that I can make an impact on race day in the 200m. This is my preferred race.”
Walker, who boasts a 200m best of 20.26, added: “This is a first for Friday and I as we have never been to South Africa. We are both quite excited. Jobodwana, Munyai and Mlenga are seriously good and I cannot wait to go into the blocks with them.”
The US athletes will have to deal with a 17-hour flight but they are not perturbed.
“We will just make sure that we are well hydrated before we get on to the plane and keep on hydrating. And of course lots of stretching,” Walker added.
Munyai has already made his intentions known after winning a 300m in 32.08 at the Classic Shoot Out last Friday (February 9), beating the likes of 400m specialist, Pieter Conradie.
“I’m looking forward to racing on March 1. I always love racing against Anaso and Retshidisitswe. To have the added incentive of racing against the Americans in front of our home-crowd is a really big deal. We get to show South Africa at home that we are mixing it up with the world. This is really exciting,” Munyai said.
Munyai has only raced the 300m twice. He set the world junior record of 31.61 in Ostrava on June 28 last year and his second time was last Friday.
“That race (February 9) showed me that things are coming together nicely. I will be ready for anything at the Athletix Grand Prix Meeting in Ruimsig, so I am really looking forward to the race.”
Munyai ran the South African junior record in the 200m of 20.10 at Tuks in March last year, while Mlenga clocked 20.88 on January 29 on the very track at Ruimsig.
With Jobodwana itching to get back into sub-20 shape, the 200m race at Roodepoort is shaping up to be a race that South Africans will look forward to with much anticipation.
