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News25 Aug 2004


Sepeng and Mulaudzi – different generations, same goal

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Mbulaeni Mulaudzi leads a South African 1-2 from Hezekiel Sepeng in the 800m at the IAAF Golden League meeting in Zurich (© Getty Images)

Preparing to compete in his third Olympic Games, 1996 Atlanta 800m silver medallist Hezekiel Sepeng insists that despite his successes on the sport’s biggest stage, he still hasn’t run “the perfect race” and firmly believes that it could come in Athens.

Raw speed and endurance

“I think the hunger is still there,” said the 30-year-old South African, who followed up his runner-up performance in Atlanta with a silver medal at the 1997 World Championships on the same track where he’ll begin competition tonight (Wednesday 25 Aug).

“I’m still searching for that perfect race. Both races where I’ve won silver, I feel there were mistakes in the races. So, coming in, I’m still trying to run that perfect race, and I hope it’s going to happen here.”

Sepeng, who was fourth in Sydney and reached the finals at the 1993, 2001 and 2003 World Championships, has a personal best of 1:42.69 to his credit; only ten men have ever run faster. But beyond his raw speed and endurance, experience will play a major role in an event where upsets are almost the norm in Olympic competition.

“These guys I’m competing against are more or less new guys,” he said. “I’m pretty lucky compared to the other athletes; from say 1996, I’m the only athlete still surviving. I’ve progressed well, I haven’t been injured, and I think all those years will pay off.”

Selection confusion

In the Spring though, there were some doubts about Sepeng even participating in Athens. Confusion about the South African federation’s entry requirements nearly left him at home. “I had some little misunderstandings with my federation, but things were sorted out in the end.”

Proving his fitness, he raced to a 1:43.94 performance at Rome’s Golden Gala in early July, finishing runner-up to world record-holder Wilson Kipketer.

“I’m hungry as others are hungry,” Sepeng reiterated. “I’m going to step on that track and go for that gold. The other guys are really fast at the end, but if I run that perfect race, I don’t see a big problem.”

Racing the younger guys

One of those “younger guys” is 23-year-old compatriot Mbulaeni Mulaudzi. Making his first appearance on the Olympic stage, Mulaudzi brings some impressive big-meet credentials to Athens, the 2002 Commonwealth Games win and 2004 world indoor gold among them. But he’s aware that Olympic competition bears no resemblance to anything else in the sporting world, and said he has come to the Greek capital without any expectations.

“My biggest goal was just to be here,” said Mulaudzi, also a member of the still-exclusive sub-1:43 club. “For the past four years, I have been preparing to come here. But right now, I’m just going to take it easy and not set my goals too high.”

Injury after winter success

After winning his indoor crown in Budapest in March, however, injury and illness dealt his Athens preparation a severe blow. He injured his tarsal bone twice before being hit with a fever and flu, losing more than three weeks of training in late spring and early summer.

Despite inadequate preparation, he said he needed to increase his race sharpness and decided to begin his summer campaign at the Paris leg of the TDK Golden League. It was not an auspicious debut. At the Stade de France, he fell and did not finish. But he bounced back at the Karelia Games in Lappeenranta, clocking 1:45.65, and a few days later, ran 1:45.95 in London’ s Crystal Palace in late July.

“But now,” he said, “I feel positive. I’ve been training really well. I’m just going to put aside what happened in the early summer and just focus on the Olympics.”

Cautious approach to Athens

To prepare tactically before a race, Mulaudzi tries to envision how the race will transpire. With no overwhelming favourites here, that’s something that is proving difficult to do.

“Every time before my races, I always try to visualise what kind of race it'll be. My visions for this race, though, are all just a surprise. I don’t know who’s going to win the race. It’s not the same like last year, watching out for one guy. But right now, I don’t see anybody winning that race on Saturday.”

For his part, he plans to err on the side of caution.

“I’m just going to be careful in the first race. I have to run at the front just to make sure I don’t get boxed.”

In the final, Mulaudzi said he’s prepared for anything that might happen, because, he said, anything can happen.

“This race is going to be very open. I can just say that the gold is not won now. The gold will be won when the guy crosses the line on Saturday. With me, I’m not stressing about other guys. It can be a very fast race, and I’m ready for it. It can be a very tactical race and I’m very ready for that. So it is an open race for everyone.”

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

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