JOHANNESBURG – Anaso Jobodwana sent out the most emphatic signal yet that he is well and truly back after schooling world champion Justin Gatlin in the 150m at the Liquid Telecom Athletix Grand Prix in Pretoria last night.
It was Jobodwana’s biggest scalp of his career adding to one of the best weeks of his life after his son was born this week.
Jobodwana again produced the swagger that suggests he is returning to the kind of form that made him a world bronze medallist back in 2015.
The former South African 200m record-holder produced such a dominant performance that he almost had to look back as he taunted Gatlin over the final 20 metres. Last week it was rising youngster Clarence Munyai who fell victim to Jobodwana’s taunts in the 200m in Roodepoort this time it was one of the big fish of global athletics.
Anaso Jobodwana, right and Justin Gatlin, left after the 150m at Tuks Stadium. Photo: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
Jobodwana crossed the line on the blue Mondo track in a time of 15.08 seconds with sprinting stalwart Roscoe Engel finishing second in 15.17 with Luxolo Adams bagging bronze clocking 15.18.
While Gatlin had to be content with fourth place with 15.23, Engel marched around the track screaming “I beat Gatlin”.
Earlier, three-time world champion Caster Semenya set a new South African 1000m best of 2:35.43 to knock almost two seconds off Ilze Wicksell’s time set in 1983.
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The Star