One cannot but feel that Athletics South Africa (ASA) are out to sabotage their own athletes after the selectors decided to leave national 100 metres record-holder Akani Simbine out of the 200m event for the Rio Olympics.
Forget about Simbine’s record-breaking effort in the short sprint earlier this week or the fact he ran the second-fastest time of the qualifiers.
Simbine progressed to the 200m semi-finals at last year’s IAAF World Championships in Beijing, clocking a new personal best time of 20.23 seconds in his heat before missing out on a final berth.He ran his second-best time ever in Pretoria in March but this was not good enough to convince ASA to add him to the 200m roster for the Games.
Instead they selected talented teenager Gift Leotlela in his place courtesy of his personal best – and qualifying time – of 20.47sec.Five sprinters dipped below the qualifying time of 20.50, including world 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk, who clocked the second-fastest time behind national record-holder Anaso Jobodwana.
Van Niekerk withdrew from the half-lap sprint to focus on his specialist 400m at the Games, thereby promoting Simbine to second place on the list thanks to his time of 20.23.South African 200m champion Clarence Munyai, 18, moved up the list courtesy of his 20.36 personal best while he had also dipped below the qualifying time three times this year.
This supposedly left Leotlela out in the cold with the fourth-fastest time until he was named in the team to fill the maximum three berths available for the 200m.
Simbine, who intended to run the 100/200m double at the Games, lodged an appeal which ASA subsequently rejected.The fact that Simbine had not run the 200m at the South African or African Championships was offered as the reason for the rejection.Simbine was entered for the 200m at the national championships but missed the event due to an injury sustained in the 100m.
He had since recovered from the hamstring niggle, posting fast times in the 100m, while finishing third in the short sprint at the African championships.A cruel exclusion from the team would have awaited Leotlela if Simbine succeeded with his appeal.Such an ordeal has the potential to scar an athlete for life and robbing others of opportunities they deserve.
Both athletes earned their places fair and square and it is unfair that they now have to be exposed to more uncertainty ahead of their maiden Olympics.
ASA also offered athlete development as a reason for their decision with the two youngsters no doubt earning valuable experience.
However, development and experience should never be the primary reason for selection for the Olympic Games.While the saga has the potential to cause friction among the country’s top sprinters, Simbine has handled the matter with dignity. In his appeal, he made it clear he had no intention to prejudice his team-mates but only expected fair treatment.
None of the athletes have been treated fairly in the matter with ASA neglecting to consult Simbine on whether he would be available to race in the 200m.On Monday, Simbine clocked a new personal best of 20.16sec, edging closer to a sub-20 time in the half-lap sprint, a time that could easily get him into a final at a major championship.
While we rue the missed opportunities, we can also look forward to watching South Africa’s next generation of fast men reaching for their dreams.
*Ockert De Villiers will be covering the Rio Olympics for Independent Media