Johannesburg - National 100m record-holder Akani Simbine failed to appeal his exclusion from the 200m event at the Rio Olympic Games.
Five athletes in total met the qualifying standard including world 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk, who opted to withdraw to focus on his specialist one-lap sprint for the Games.
Simbine posted the second fastest qualifying time in the 200m behind world bronze medallist Anaso Jobodwana during the window period. But the Athletics South Affrica (ASA) selectors replaced Simbine with the 18-year-old Gift Leotlela while training partner Clarence Munyai also secured his place.
Jobodwana, who has not raced since last year’s world championships due to injury, would round off the the quota of three athletes for the half-lap sprint.
ASA athletes coordinator Hezekiel Sepeng confirmed on Wednesday that the team had been finalised and no changes would be allowed. Simbine, who shattered the South African 100m record when he blitzed a time of 9.89 seconds at a meeting in Budapest on Monday, also clocked a new 200m personal best of 20.16s.
"If you look at the team we have four that qualified, and with a situation like that we had to look at the athletes who were in form when the team was selected,’’ Sepeng said.
"The last time he ran that time was in March but if you look at Gift and Clarence they ran at SAs (SA Championships).“Akani did not run at SAs and he did not run at Africa champs.”
Leotlela once dipped below the qualifying time at last month’s CAA Southern Region Under-20 Championships in Lusaka, Zambia with a personal best of 20.47s.Simbine dipped below the qualifying time of 20.50s three times during the window.
He actually entered for the 200m at the South African Championships but a hamstring injury in the 100m meant he could not compete in the half-lap event.
While the selectors argue Simbine did not prove his fitness by competing in the 200m at the South African and African Championships, Leotlela did not compete in the half-lap sprint at those meets either.
"It was a tough one because we looked at it and he only ran in March and with four athletess who achieved the standards,” Sepeng explained.
“Anaso had medical clearance and he is a medal prospect and the other two guys (Leotlela and Munyai) were in form."
The Star