Blind athlete from Bloemfontein in line for World Champs

A blind runner has placed herself in early contention for the national team to compete at next year’s World Cross Country Championships after finishing sixth at the national trials in Bloemfontein.

Local Free State athlete Louzanne Coetzee, who competed on the track at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, finished seventh overall in the senior women’s 10km race on Saturday morning, covering the distance in 39:32.

She was bumped up one place in the official results, however, as the athlete who finished fourth, Ts’pang Sello of Lesotho, was an open entrant and was not eligible for the SA squad.

Athletics South Africa (ASA) was expected to use the trials race, which also hosted the national student trials, to select the team for the African Cross Country Championships in Chlef next month, as well as a preparation squad for the World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus next year.

Though it was unclear how large the squads would be, ASA usually selected at least six athletes in each category for international championship events.

Thabang Mosiako won the senior men’s 10km race in 29:49, and Kesa Molotsane took the women’s race in 35:29.

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