News15 Nov 2003


South Africa pre-selects two for Athens Marathon

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Hendrick Ramaala - 27:43.07 - in Port Elizabeth ABSA 2003 (© Mark Ouma)

The athletics contingent in South Africa’s team for the 2004 Athens Olympics began taking shape with the announcement yesterday that Hendrick Ramaala and Ian Syster will be entered for the men’s Marathon.

Releasing the selection criteria for the Olympics, Athletics South Africa (ASA) Chief Executive Banele Sindani, says they want to broaden the base from which the country strives to win medals at the quadrennial event.

Mr Sindani contends that Josia Thugwane’s victory at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics confirms that with proper planning a South African can win the marathon in Athens. Ramaala and Syster have earned their selection by virtue of finishing in the top ten at the World Athletics Championships, Sindani explained.

Syster was seventh with a time of 2:10:17. Ramaala was credited with a time of 2:10:57 and was placed ninth. Together with Gert Thys (30th) they enabled South Africa to clinch the third place in the World Cup team category.

“We are going to meet our top marathon runners and plan a strategy of how to equal Thugwane’s feat. Our source of medals at recent World Championships and Olympics has largely been confined to the field events,” Sindani observed.

“While our 400m Hurdlers are showing promise, we want to further diversify potential sources for our medal haul to include competitors in the middle and long distance events. That is the logic behind building a strong marathon team in Athens.”

Unaware of their selection prior to the announcement, Ramaala and Syster where nonetheless delighted when they received the news. They suggest that the long and frank discussion they had with ASA officials in Paris after the race is beginning to see fruit.

“I was particularly hurt that I did not win a medal in Paris. We are capable of coming back from Athens with the gold medal from the marathon. What we need is have the kind of support base to enable us focus on Athens,” said Ramaala.

“This boils down to having adequate resources to train. Should ASA fully compensate us for not competing at an international marathon in March or April, then one can focus on Athens. Otherwise we have to compete in London, Rotterdam, Boston or Paris marathon to earn some money to survive.” Ramaala explained.

“I learnt of my selection through friends who called to congratulate me. Right now I need to get in touch with my agent and plan. All I can say is that this early selection is good as it gives us room to plan for good results in Athens,” said Syster.

ASA will name one more athlete for the men’s marathon. That is bound to be a tough call as many are capable of achieving the 2:12:00 qualifier which is the ‘A’ standard required if three runners are to be entered. While Elana Meyer is perhaps the only female athlete who could achieve even the women’s ‘B’ qualifier of 2:36:00.

ASA has abandoned it stringent qualifying standards and reverted to the IAAF standards as a basis for selection to Athens. The athletes must compete in the national championship, which is also the Olympics Trials. It will be staged from 16-17 April in the port city of eThekwini.

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