Durban – South Africa javelin queen Sunette Viljoen tightened her vice-like grip on her specialist event by winning a record fifth continental title at the African Athletics Championships here on Saturday.
Viljoen launched a best heave of 64.08 metres, which is among her best throws this year, beating nearest rival and compatriot Jo-Ane van Dyk by almost eight metres.
Van Dyk won the silver medal with a distance of 56.22m with Pacaline Adanhoegbe of Benin bagging bronze with 54.88m
“I am very proud of that. I’ve been able to be continuously throwing for such a long time and to be on top of the continent,’’ Viljoen said.
“To be the best in your continent, you can’t take it for granted, it is very special.’’
The world championships bronze medallist boasts the fourth best throw in the world so far this year with her season’s best of 65.14m from Doha last month.
Viljoen said the aim was to launch a similar distance but she was still satisfied with her performance.
“I wanted to throw a 65 tonight and I would have been happy but I got very close to that distance,’’ she said.
South Africa ended the penultimate day of the championships with a total of 24 medals – 11 gold, seven silver and six bronze.
Perpetual record-breaker Wayde van Niekerk will be gunning for the South African 200m mark after a superb run in his semi-final yesterday.
The world 400m champion posted the fastest half-lap time by a South African on home soil by winning his semi in a time of 20.03 seconds last night.
When asked if he had the national record in his sights, Van Niekerk said: “Definitely! All of us are chasing to better ourselves and if in that process a national record comes, I’ll be really grateful for that opportunity.
“I am not yet happy. I just have to recover and try again tomorrow.’’
Van Niekerk is the second fastest South African ever over the 200m sprint and the first to break through the sub-20 barrier over this distance with a time of 19.94s in Lucerne, Switzerland, in July last year.
His time then was a new South African record before Anaso Jobodwana reclaimed the national mark by winning the world bronze medal in Beijing with a time of 19.87s.
“The 200 is one of my favourite events and the reason why I love the sport,’’ Van Niekerk said.
“The first 150 metres was quite good where I felt quite strong, but I tired out a bit over the last 50, so I need a good recovery now and I’ll be ready for tomorrow’s final.’’
Caster Semenya coasted through to today’s 800m final with the fastest time in the heats of 2min 02.01sec and could add her second continental title of the week after she won the 1500m on Friday.
Olympic long jump silver medallist Khotso Mokoena signalled that he was regaining his form by winning the bronze medal in the triple jump with a season’s best effort of 16.77m.
Nigeria’s Tosin Oke claimed his third African title with a best effort of 17.13m with Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso claiming silver with a leap of 16.81m.
Mokoena attributed his improvement to linking up with coach Emmarie Fouche once again and believed he would be ready for the Rio Olympics in August thanks to her guidance.
“That was much, much better, training alone after I left Emmarie, and two weeks ago I went back and now we are jumping well again,’’ Mokoena said.
“I can feel it, it is there, so I just need the right timing. I am confident about the Olympics and I just want to prepare as best I can because it will be my last Games, then I will be looking to let go of the sport.’’
SA sprint hurdles specialist Antonio Alkana won his maiden African title, crossing the line in a time of 13.43sec before limping off the track.
He finished ahead of Algeria’s Tyron Akins in second place with 13.74s and Mohamed Koussi of Morocco in third with 13.94s.
Veteran South African hammer thrower Chris Harmse, 43, missed out on claiming his fifth African title and once again had to be content with the silver medal.
Egyptian Eslam Ahmed Ibrahim walked away with the spoils with the best heave of the night of 68.92 metres with Harmse’s 67.67m earning him silver, while compatriot Tshepang Makhethe took bronze with 65.54m.
– The Sunday Independent