South African will have a full complement of men’s 400m hurdlers at the Rio Olympic Games after Le Roux Hamman posted the qualifying time at Tuks Athletics’ opening of their new track.
The 24-year-old won his race clocking a new personal best time of 49.24 seconds to join national record-holder LJ van Zyl and Lindsay Hanekom, who have met the qualifying mark for the global showpiece.
This was only the second time in his career that he managed to dip below 50 seconds in the one-lap hurdles event slashing 0.75 seconds off his previous best he posted in Pretoria in March.
“I think my coach and I clicked, we analyse what is good for me and over the last five weeks we’ve trained for me,” Hamman said.
“My body likes the more lactic stuff, so three lactic sessions a week, I don’t like speed, it is hard for my body.
“The last 100 metre is where I come through, I don’t have natural speed, I am just fit. So at the start they get away from me and at the end I surge.”
Hardus Maritz of Namibia followed in second place in a time of 50.15 second with Bernard Pretorius bagging the bronze in 51.27.
Hamman trains with Van Zyl, and women’s 400m hurdles ace Wenda Nel under Irma Reynecke on the same track.
Cornel Fredericks, who has been among the world’s top half-lap hurdlers could also still add his name to the list of names for the Olympic Games.
Hamman is well aware of the threat of Fredericks and the tussle for places in one of South Africa’s best events in track and field.
“I have three races left in Europe and I will have to make that I stay in contention when I run there,” Hamman said.
“I’ve always been fourth in line so I wasn’t selected for Africa and I had to look for other races.”
Joint South African women’s 100m recordholder Carina Horn dipped below the qualifying mark of 11.32 seconds for the 15th time winning her race in a time of 11.18.
“I am happy with the consistency, I just have to be patient to wait for the right race where I can get everything together but I am happy,” Horn said.
“I hope for a medal at the African Champs, so hopefully the weather plays along and I am looking forward to that.”
Tsholofelo Thipe followed in second place with 11.85 with Cassidy Williamson finishing in third place in 11.88.
Meanwhile, Luvo Manyonga won the men’s long jump with a best jump of 8.05 metres recording only one other legal jump of 8.04m.
“I am happy with my jumps, and I usually don’t have a distance in mind, I just go for the jump and the rest would come automatic,” Manyonga said.
“I am looking forward to Africa Championships where there will be good competition there. I had a slight ankle injury and I am building from that.”
Commonwealth Games silver medallist Zarck Visser made a successful comeback after an absence of 10 months due to a stress fracture on his take-off leg taking second place with a best jump of 7.50m.
“Jumping a 7.50m is not too bad, for me to come back from injury where I’ve been out for a few months, this is the first time I’ve actually jumped, I didn’t even jump in training,” Visser said.
“I want to do a few competitions and see how it goes to get back into jumping state. Where I am now I am just happy to be jumping again so this is a blessing for me.” - Independent Media