South Africa will have teams at the world relays and world championships next year – if top athletes such as Wayde van Niekerk and Caster Semenya are prepared to “double up” on their events.
That was the promise from Athletics South Africa president Aleck Skhosana following the conclusion of the national coaches symposium in Bloemfontein at the weekend.
There was an outcry in athletics circles across the country after South Africa failed to qualify any teams for the Rio Olympics, where the men’s 4x100m in particular and the women’s 4x400m could’ve been possible medal contenders.
The likes of Van Niekerk, SA 100m record-holder Akani Simbine – who ended fifth in the Olympic final – Henricho Bruintjies and Anaso Jobodwana would’ve made a formidable team for the 4x100m, as the first three mentioned all have sub-10 second times, while Jobodwana has a personal best of 10.10.
Olympic 800m champion Semenya has proven that she can become a genuine force in the 400m after winning the national title in Stellenbosch this year, while she also clocked a new best time of 50.40 in her final race of the season in Brussels last month.
Apart from Semenya, 400m hurdles specialist Wenda Nel, 200m Olympian Justine Palframan and Jeanelle Griesel won gold in the 4x400m at the African Championships in Durban in June with a new SA record of 3:28.49.
But both teams didn’t run a second time before the Rio Games, as the top 16 are determined by an average of a country’s two best times in the qualifying period.
There was a lot of confusion around why there weren’t any other times posted, but ultimately not enough local or international meetings or opportunities were organised for that to happen.
That is now set to change following discussions at the symposium in Bloemfontein, although the ball is in the athletes’ court with regards to participation at the IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas from April 22-23.
This event will serve as a qualification stage for next year’s world athletics championships in London from August 4-13.
“The issue of the relays, we are going to make an announcement as to who is going to head up that. But remember that we are going to need athletes who are comfortable to double up. We had to think twice about whether we had to take Simbine, whether we must take Caster to run the 4x400m qualification rounds, Wayde also in the 4x100m,” Skhosana told Independent Media.
“So, we need to have at least six athletes in each team so that the other athletes can run the qualifying rounds. Next year, we are sending a team to the IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas, yes. If athletes are available, we will send them. If the coaches say that they don’t want their athletes to run there, well, we won’t have a team.
“It is all about the willingness of the coaches and the athletes to prepare for that. It does come down to communication from both sides. We have declared it and put it in our calendar for next year, and we will have to appoint athletes before we close in December so that athletes can prepare for it, knowing they are in the squad. We want them to run and we will appoint a coach and a manager.”
Skhosana said that the performances of Olympic medallists Van Niekerk, Semenya, Luvo Manyonga and Sunette Viljoen were “huge inspirations”, adding that one of the main outcomes of the symposium was that athletes need to aim higher if they hope to receive financial support from ASA in future.
“We want coaches to train athletes not for the South African championships, but rather for international IAAF events. If we just concentrate on the SA champs, it means they won’t make the African champs and later the world,” he said.
“It is about thinking bigger. We had an expert who has worked for UK athletics, Frank Dick, was on Skype to the symposium, and Norman Brook also presented on what it would take to succeed at the 2020 Olympic Games. It was a well thought-out, all-encompassing look at what we need to do.
“The biggest thing is that athletes must perform. There is a national scheme, which is the Olympic scheme – which is also the national academy through Sascoc. That’s why I’m saying to coaches: they must aim higher, their athletes must be ranked in the top 10 in the world through their performances.
“Then the support will come. The rest of the support (lower down) is a provincial matter and club matter. Remember that our mandate as athletics is to bring honour and glory to South Africa. And how do you do that? By having your athletes qualify for the finals, being in the top eight or 10, and getting personal bests and season’s bests.”
@ashfakmohamed
Independent Media