Lindsay Hannekom ran for victory in the men’s 400m hurdles, reaching the finish in 48.84 seconds.
The 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife Athletics South Africa (ASA) Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships got off to a wet start at Germiston Stadium on Thursday.
Once the rain cleared, the scheduled events, including the 1 500m heats, shot put, javelin throw, high jump and many others resumed, and day one of nationals showed staggering character, as new champions were named and interesting race developments were revealed.
Track queen, Caster Semenya, was crowned the champion in the 1 500m and 5 000m races at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships, held at Germiston Stadium, from Thursday to Saturday.
One such revelation was when audiences spotted Caster Semenya on the starting line for the 1 500m and 5 000m heats.
Semenya booked herself into the finals, which took place on Friday evening, by finishing her 1 500m in a time of 4:30.65
In the 5 000m, Semenya crossed the finish line in 16:05.97.
She was followed by Dominique Scott-Effurd who finished in 16:13.71 with Kesa Molotsane rounding out the podium in 16:25.23.
Earlier on Thursday, 24-year-old Tebogo Mamatu became the new South African senior women’s 100m champion when she scorched past the finish in a time of 11.45 seconds.
“I had a good start and struggled a bit with my transition, which is never that great but I’m working on it,” said an excited Mamatu.
Asked whether she would give the 200m dash a try, she said she was fearful of the race at this time in her career.
A close race in the senior women 100m dash, won by Tebogo Mamatu, the new South African Senior Women 100m Champion.
Mamatu has a few races in Europe lined up before competing in the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar in September.
Despite suffering from cramps, Simon Magakwe became the 100m athlete with the most ever national short sprint titles in South African history as he secured his eighth title.
He won the race in 10.05 seconds.
Magakwe successfully defended his 2018 title, adding to the titles he won consecutively from 2009 through to 2014.
Day two was nothing short of spectacular as audiences once again saw Semenya take the lead at the gun, in the women’s 1 500m final and stormed to the finish line in 4:13.59, finishing nearly 16 seconds ahead of the rest of the runners.
Luvo Manyonga lands an 8.35m jump and stayed the national champion in the men’s long jump.
Ryan Mphahlele won the men’s 1 500m final in 3:43.60.
Chris Harmse (45) had his eyes on his 24th hammer throw national title, until 23-year-old Tshepang Makhethe made a jaw-dropping 72.25m throw, setting a personal best and clinching the gold in the men’s senior hammer throw.
Harmse settled for the silver medal with a 71.70m landing.
Day three saw a scintillating close to the three-day championships.
Orazio Cremona won the men’s shot put final with a 21.51m heave, setting a new personal best above his previous one of 21.12m.
Akani Simbine commanded victory in the men’s 200m final as he bolted across the line in 20.27 seconds.
National men’s 200m champion Akani Simbine.
“I was happy with the first phase of the run, the first bend,” said Simbine.
“I knew I had to close the rest of the guys down before the straight leg and I did that.
“I did not see what was happening behind me, the game plan for nationals was always to get to the bend first and head home in the last 100m.
“This race proved there’s a lot I can do in the 100m dash and I can look forward to participating in that race in future, seeing as it’s been a while since I have ran that dash.”
Simbine will take to the world championships to represent SA in the men’s 4x100m relay and he is excited about the upcoming IAAF Shanghai Diamond league taking place next month in China.
“I’m excited about the relay team, when we run for our country, it is not just about winning medals for ourselves but for our country too,” he said.
World champion, and still South African champion, Luvo Manyonga, won gold in the men’s long jump with an 8.35m leap.
Fighting to the finish at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships, held at Germiston Stadium at the weekend, in the women’s 800m race are Prudence Sekgodiso and Gena Lofstrand.
Sunette Viljoen clinched her 13th South African title with a winning heave of 57.23m in the women’s javelin throw.
In one of the tightest races of the three-day tournament, Prudence Sekgodiso dashed passed Gena Lofstrand in the women’s 800m race and made a mouth-watering finish in 2:05:06.
“I still cannot believe I won,” said Sekgodiso.
“It was a tough race but I believe I did what I had planned on doing and that was competing to the best of my ability.”
Tamzin Thomas won the women’s 200m race in a time of 23.64.
Zeney van der Walt won the women’s nailbiting 400m hurdles race in a time of 55.93.
Lindsay Hanekom made it in just under 49 seconds, winning the men’s 400m in 48.84.
Gardeo Isaacs won the men’s 400m in a time of 45.39.
Lynique Beneke finished on top in the highly competitive women’s long jump with a jump of 6.64m.
Taylor Bieldt won the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.63 seconds.
Antonio Alkana won the men’s 110m hurdles in a rapid 13.38 seconds.
The new national champions have just under three weeks of training and rest before they head out to Shanghai for the Diamond League and just four months to prepare for the World Championships in Doha.
Luvo Manyonga lands an 8.35m jump and stayed the national champion in the men’s long jump.
Neo Bapela, an athletics fanatic from Dinwiddie, was thrilled to meet Caster Semenya at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships, held at Germiston Stadium over the weekend.
Fighting to the finish at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships, held at Germiston Stadium at the weekend, in the women’s 800m race are Prudence Sekgodiso and Gena Lofstrand.
Track queen, Caster Semenya, was crowned the champion in the 1 500m and 5 000m races at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships, held at Germiston Stadium, from Thursday to Saturday.
Lindsay Hannekom ran for victory in the men’s 400m hurdles, reaching the finish in 48.84 seconds.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
Brilliant athletics action at the 2019 Sizwe Medical Fund and 3SixtyLife (Athletics South Africa) ASA Senior Track and Field and Combined Events Championships.
