Exciting start to SA Track Champs
A handful of new national records were broken when the five-day competition started.
THE 2015 South African National Track Championships at the Hector Norris Park Cycling Track was an exciting affair as a number of medals were handed out and a national records were broken, when the five-day competition started in Johannesburg Tuesday April 7.
The Hector Norris is an outdoor track, which means that the weather is always going to play a role in the racing; wind was a factor during the event.
Four new South African records and an unofficial World Record was bettered on day one of the competition. Cycling South Africa’s coordinator of the Junior Track Programme, Annerine Wenhold, said that it is quite difficult to judge as to whether the world record will stand or not.
“There were some incredibly quick times during the afternoon on day one, with Grenville Scullard breaking a world record, but we still have to get that result confirmed due to the fact that we don’t have the sort of equipment you will see overseas.
“There are no starting blocks so it makes it a bit more complicated when it comes to world records, so without the proper equipment we will have to wait and see,” Wenhold said.
It was a good day out for Track superstar Maroeskja Matthee, who finished on top of the podium in the Elite Women’s Sprint Race. She was strong on the opening day, but she was pushed hard by some up-and-coming youngsters during the sprint events.
The races were closely fought and everyone had a chance to win.
South African track cycling legend Grenville Scullard from Alberton was the man of the day as he beat his own South African national record in the 50-54 Men’s Time Trial (500m) and in the process set an unofficial world record.
