Centurion - Double Olympic 100 metre finalist Akani Simbine will headline the ASA Athletics Grand Prix Series in Potchefstroom on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old will be competing in the men’s 200m alongside former SA champion Luxolo September and experienced eSwatini sprinter Sibusiso Matsenjwa.
National women's 100m record holder Carina Horn headlines her specialist event, while three-time world 800m champion Caster Semenya will be eager to build on her fine form with the women’s 2 000m race.
Fresh from winning the women’s 400m hurdles, Zeney van der Walt returns as favourite, while Sherley Nekhubvi leads entries in the women’s 200m. Tshepo Tshite spearheads the men’s 800m line-up, while Ryan Mphahlele will be hard to beat in the men's 3 000m contest.
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But all eyes will be in-field for a full line-up of world class javelin throwers.
With the student town traditionally hosting top international field event athletes as a training base ahead of the top-flight season, many of them will compete at the World Athletics Continental Tour meeting.
The men’s javelin throw field includes seven athletes (from five different countries) who hold personal bests beyond 80 metres, spearheaded by former world champion Vitezslav Vesely and fellow Czech athlete Jakub Vadlejch, the silver medallist at last year's Tokyo Olympics.
The women's lineup includes another Czech athlete, European Championships medallist Nikola Ogrodnikova, and former Asian Championships medallist Yuka Sato of Japan.
The South African challenge will be led by former World Under-20 Championships medallists Johann Grobler in the men's contest and Jo-Ane van Dyk in the women's event.
IOL Sport