While much of the focus during last year’s Beijing athletics world championships was around Wayde van Niekerk’s 400m victory, another sprinter made history in the 200m.
Anaso Jobodwana was an unlikely figure in the 200m final after injury saw him miss the entire 2014 season. Before that, he had shocked the athletics scene by making it all the way to the 2012 London Olympic final, where he was up against Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt.
The then-20-year-old Jobodwana ended eighth as Bolt stormed to victory, but the young South African continued his rise by reaching the final at the world championships in Moscow the following year and finishing sixth in a new personal best of 20.13.
Fast-forward to Beijing in August last year, and the man from King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape made his breakthrough into the top division of 200m runners by winning bronze in an electric time of 19.87, a new South African record.
Jobodwana trailed the mighty Bolt (19.55) and American star Justin Gatlin (19.74), and the athletics world was at his feet. But a troublesome injury that causes inflammation in his pelvis has prevented Jobodwana from taking part in races in 2016, even though he has worked hard on the track.
His absence jeopardised a place in Team South Africa for the Rio Olympics, as the likes of Van Niekerk, Akani Simbine, Clarence Munyai and Gift Leotlela all ran qualifying times in the 200m.
But on Thursday, he was included in the 39-strong athletics team for Rio, with teenagers Munyai and Leotlela also in the 200m line-up as Simbine was controversially only listed in the 100m, ostensibly due to running fewer 200m races this year due to a hamstring injury.
His selection for a second Olympic Games comes as a major relief for Jobodwana, who decided to hold a question and answer session on his Facebook page in Friday. And, of course, the most important question was about his fitness – which was asked by Kevin Khanyisile Kwinana – and Jobodwana responded positively.
“I’m fit in terms of running the times at training, so I’m slowly building. There are a few things I need to work on, but I’ve got a month to iron it out. I’ve never been in this position before (minimal training with no races), but I know my body well so it’s telling me I’m not too far off.”
It is unclear whether Jobodwana – who will turn 24 in two weeks’ time – will be ready to run a race before getting to Rio, where his first 200m heat takes place on August 16.
That gives him exactly a month to get into optimum shape, and if he does, he is confident of being a contender for a medal. But he will first have to get past the likes of 400m American star LaShawn Merritt, who has run a world-leading time of 19.74 this year, as well as Gatlin (19.75).
That’s not to mention Bolt, who hasn’t registered a 200m time this year but will still be the favourite, despite sustaining a hamstring injury in the Jamaican Olympic trials recently.
Jobodwana is thrilled about taking on Merritt, but hasn’t yet worked out a “game plan” to challenge Bolt. “It’s awesome. I trained with him (Merritt) for a year and he taught me a lot about this sport. So I’m excited to run against him,” he said.
“I have honestly never thought about that (about what he lacks to beat Bolt). Personally to improve my race, I need to have a faster bend run. I promise that my goal is to get a medal. And put my best foot forward.”
A sluggish start hampered Jobodwana in the world championships final in Beijing last year, where he emerged from the bend in fifth or sixth position. If he could get a faster start and hit the home straight in third perhaps in Rio, he may just be able to take the next step to realistically compete against Bolt and Gatlin.
Jobodwana has proved that he has the temperament for the big stage. But the immediate focus will be on being 100 percent fit, and then getting through the heats in Brazil.
@IndyCapeSport - Independent Media