Ruben Ramolefi in Stellenbosch (© Mark Ouma)
South African champions Reuben Ramolefi and Wenda Theron produced the highlights at the Yellow Pages Inter-Provincial Championships in Bellville near Cape Town on Saturday (16).
The pair saved the day as most winners at last week’s senior national championship stayed away from the event. Several athletes in the junior and youth age groups used the event to confirm their form ahead next month’s Africa Junior Championships in Gaborone, Botswana, and the Southern Africa Youth Championships in Windhoek, Namibia.
Right from the starter’s gun Ramolefi took the lead and remained on course to improve his national record of 8:11.63 until the last two laps. His brave effort was rewarded with a time 8:22.46. This was his second fastest time after his 8:14.06 at the nationals championships last weekend.
Such was the pace Ramolefi set that the next two runners across the finish line Tumelo Motlagale (8:30.24) and Dikotsi Lekopa (8:41.93) each improved their career bests for the second time in as many weeks.
“I am very happy to have come out here and run a time like this. We did not have enough time to warm up because our flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town was halted for two hours because of a heavy thunderstorm,” Ramolefi explained.
“This proved that my level of fitness has improved significantly. I look forwards to improving my South Africa record in Daegu, South Korea on 12 May,” Ramolefi declared. His national record of 8:11.63 was set 2009 at the Golden League in Monaco.
For the third time in as many weeks Theron won her 400m Hurdles races within the World Championships B qualifying standard. She claimed victory in 56.48.
Last week she retained her senior national championship title in 56.47 in eThekwini. The week before that, Theron set a career best of 56.24 at the Yellow Pages Inter-provincial championships in Ekurhuleni.
“It is all about establishing a level of consistency. I still have time to achieve the more stringent A qualifying standard of 55.40 when the European outdoor circuit gets underway in earnest. These times should get me into a good race there,” says Theron.
Other notable performances were from World 800m champion Caster Semenya (2:01.88) in the 800m, Elizna Naude (58.96m) in Discus and Justine Robbeson (57.27m) in the Javelin. In the men’s events Tshamano Setone (13:32.90) claimed victory in the 5000m, Victor Hogan (61.58m) in the Discus and Luvo Manyonga (7.95m) in the Long Jump.
Mark Ouma for the IAAF
The pair saved the day as most winners at last week’s senior national championship stayed away from the event. Several athletes in the junior and youth age groups used the event to confirm their form ahead next month’s Africa Junior Championships in Gaborone, Botswana, and the Southern Africa Youth Championships in Windhoek, Namibia.
Right from the starter’s gun Ramolefi took the lead and remained on course to improve his national record of 8:11.63 until the last two laps. His brave effort was rewarded with a time 8:22.46. This was his second fastest time after his 8:14.06 at the nationals championships last weekend.
Such was the pace Ramolefi set that the next two runners across the finish line Tumelo Motlagale (8:30.24) and Dikotsi Lekopa (8:41.93) each improved their career bests for the second time in as many weeks.
“I am very happy to have come out here and run a time like this. We did not have enough time to warm up because our flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town was halted for two hours because of a heavy thunderstorm,” Ramolefi explained.
“This proved that my level of fitness has improved significantly. I look forwards to improving my South Africa record in Daegu, South Korea on 12 May,” Ramolefi declared. His national record of 8:11.63 was set 2009 at the Golden League in Monaco.
For the third time in as many weeks Theron won her 400m Hurdles races within the World Championships B qualifying standard. She claimed victory in 56.48.
Last week she retained her senior national championship title in 56.47 in eThekwini. The week before that, Theron set a career best of 56.24 at the Yellow Pages Inter-provincial championships in Ekurhuleni.
“It is all about establishing a level of consistency. I still have time to achieve the more stringent A qualifying standard of 55.40 when the European outdoor circuit gets underway in earnest. These times should get me into a good race there,” says Theron.
Other notable performances were from World 800m champion Caster Semenya (2:01.88) in the 800m, Elizna Naude (58.96m) in Discus and Justine Robbeson (57.27m) in the Javelin. In the men’s events Tshamano Setone (13:32.90) claimed victory in the 5000m, Victor Hogan (61.58m) in the Discus and Luvo Manyonga (7.95m) in the Long Jump.
Mark Ouma for the IAAF
