By Larry Lombaard
National 800m champion Hezekiel Sepeng, with Olympic, world championship and Commonwealth Games silver medals on his resume, has been axed from the South African Olympic team to Athens in August.
His transgression of the Olympic criteria rules this season was the final straw and the "silver surfer" of the world 800m circuit has paid the ultimate price for his disobedience.
Sepeng met the A-qualifying status for Olympic qualification and when he beat Mbulaeni Mulaudzi in a cliffhanger photo-finish for the South African title in Durban last month, he thought that his booking to Athens was secure. Until Tuesday's bombshell at ASA house in Houghton.
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"Sepeng failed to compete in two Absa Series meetings in the 800m this year," said ASA CEO Banele Sindani on announcing the provisional athletics team for Athens.
"The reason given is that he misunderstood the selection criteria. He admitted that it was his fault, and requested the ASA Executive Board to consider his position in a positive light.
"The board considered Sepeng's case very carefully. The Board noted that in a similar manner, Sepeng violated ASA's selection criteria for the world championships in Paris last year. ASA condoned Sepeng's actions then, but called a press conference to issue a public, and final warning, to him.
"The public warning was aimed at drawing the public's attention to the serious difficulty ASA were having with Sepeng's continued disregard for ASA's rules and regulations."
Compounding this was the fact that Sepeng, after racing on the European circuit, created huge controversy when he went missing in Holland when he should have been racing the 800m at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games where Mulaudzi captured gold.
"The Board feels that in the past they have bent backwards to accommodate Sepeng's ill-discipline, with the hope that he would turn over a new leaf. They have been tested to the limit. They cannot bend backwards anymore."
Sepeng rose to fame and fortune after winning silver at Atlanta 1996, which he followed up with silvers at the 1998 Malaysian Commonwealth Games and the 1999 IAAF world championships in Seville.
Ironically, Mulaudzi also failed to meet the selection criteria of competing in two Absa meetings, but his case was taken as a special one.
"Mulaudz's domestic season was interrupted by his sojourn in the European indoor circuit, which culminated in him winning the world indoor championships gold medal in Hungary in March.
"The Board is satisfied that Mulaudzi competed in the 800 at the Pretoria Absa meeting. This, combined with his 1 minute 45,71 at the indoors, rates as his qualifying time."
Discus thrower Hannes Hopley, who threw a 64,32m qualifier in America, also failed to attend Absa meetings, but he was granted special leave to study in America.
Others, like Sherwin Vries, Clinton Venter, Johannes van Wyk and Paul Gorries were absent from the SA championships for sound medical reasons and they have been thrown a lifeline to qualify in the forthcoming Engen Series or in Europe before July 17 when the final athletics lineup will be handed to Nocsa.
Sydney Olympics bronze-medallist Llewellyn Herbert also has until then to qualify, while there is still hope for world high jump champion Jacques Freitag who has been responding well to treatment on his ankle injury.
Provisional Olympic athletics team:
Men:
Alwyn Myburgh (400h), Chris Harmse (hammer) Frantz Kruger (discus), Gerhardus Pienaar (javelin), Hannes Hopley (discus), Janus Robberts (shot), Leigh Julius (200), Marcus la Grange (400), Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (800), Ockert Cilliers (400h), Ruben Ramolefi (3000st) Shaun Bownes (110h), Okkert Brits (pole vault), Lawrence Mokoena (triple jump).
Women:
Elizna Naude (discus), Geraldine Pillay (100), Heide Seyerling (200, 400), Hestrie Cloete (high jump), Janice Josephs (heptathlon), Nicolene Cronje (20km walk), Sunette Viljoen (javelin), Surita Febbraio (400h). - Sapa
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