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News10 Feb 1999


Marion Jones scheduled to appear in South in March

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Marion Jones scheduled to appear in South Africa in March

By Mark Ouma

1998's Female Athlete of the Year Marion Jones (USA) is the draw card of the Engen Summer Series that gets underway next month.

The three leg series which marks the highpoint of the South African domestic track and field season will be staged at the Pietersburg-Polokwane Stadium, in Pietersburg (March 13), Ruimsig Stadium in Roodepoort (March 19), and Green Point Stadium in CapeTown (March 26).

Jones is part of a star studded contingent of American athletes,  which includes her husband Cottrell 'CJ' Hunter (shot put), Antonio Pettigrew (200m/400m), Jerome Young (400m) and Derrick Adkins (400m hurdles),  that will compete at the Roodepoort and the Cape Town meetings.

"We have built the series around our top athletes in the hope that strong competition from top foreign athletes will bring out the best of our local athletes. We are also striving to to ensure that both genders are well represented in the programme of events and that South Africa's diverse population can identify with the visiting stars," said Athletics South Africa (ASA) Chief Executive Officer Bernard Rose during a press conference this morning.

Jones, who is arguably the third most popular athlete in South Africa after Namibian shooting star Frank Fredricks and Mozambique's Maria Mutola, can expect a run for her money against South Africa's athlete of the moment Wendy Hartman. Hartman's personal best of 11.22 second in 100 meters makes her one of the joint three fastest South Africans ever in the event.

With a personal best of 20.84 in the shot put, CJ Hunter is expected to come up against stiff competition from Commonwealth Games champion Burger Lambrechts who has a personal best of 20.29.

1991 World Champion Antonio Pettigrew and 1998 World Cup silver medallist Jerome Young are just what South Africa's new find Jopie van Oudtshoorn needs to propel him to chase his target of a sub 44.90 seconds. Van Oudtshoorn, who has a 45.57 to his credit this year, leads a South Africa challenge that includes the Commonwealth Games finalist Arnaud Malherbe, Adriaan Botha and junior sprinters Tshepo Thobelangope and Mandla Nkosi.

Fresh from his 300m hurdles world record feat last night, Llewellyn Herbert will face Derrick Adkin during the series. Both athletes are expected to atone for last year's poor show with performances that could see them run sub 48 seconds in the 400m hurdles.

 

 

 

 

 

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