JOHANNESBURG – South Africa is looking increasingly unlikely to come home with silverware from the IAAF World Championships in Doha after another disappointing night in Qatar.
Short-sprint hurdler Antonio Alkana provided a glimmer of hope when he marched through to the semi-final of his specialist event.
The South African 110m hurdles record-holder made it into the semi crossing the line in third place in his heat with a time of 13.41 seconds. Antonio finished behind Olympic and world champion Omar Mcleod of Jamaica who clocked the second-fastest time of the heats winning the race in 13.17.
Blink and you'll miss him. @Warrior_omz wins his 110m hurdles heat in 13.17 – too fast for the swanky overhead camera.
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Making his world championship debut, veteran hurdler Ruan de Vries missed out on a semi-finals berth. His field was eventually reduced to five athletes after a false start, and a DNS (did not start). American Daniel Roberts, who won the race was disqualified for knocking one of De Vries’ hurdles over.
The 33-year-old failed to get close to the personal best of 13.45 he set earlier this year clocking a pedestrian 14.07.
Olympic javelin throw silver medallist Sunette Viljoen will not feature in the final after she failed to record a qualifying heave. Viljoen will still walk away with silverware when she has her bronze medal from the 2011 championships upgraded to silver on Wednesday.
The South African javelin queen could only manage a best throw of 60.10m missing out on a spot in the final.
Anaso Jobodwana, of South Africa, Taymir Burnet, of the Netherlands, Kyle Greaux, of Trinidad And Tobago, Andre De Grasse, of Canada, Zharnel Hughes, of Great Britain, and Yohan Blake, of Jamaica, from left to right, compete in the 200 meter semifinals during the World Athletics Championships in Doha on Monday. Photo: AP Photo/Martin Meissner
Former world 200m bronze medallist Anaso Jobodwana produced a season’s best 20.34 in his semi-final, but it was not good enough to make the final. He finished fifth in his race with Canadian Andre de Grasse winning in 20.08.
South African half-lap record holder Clarence Munyai also missed the boat finishing sixth in his semi with a time of 20.55 which was 0.26s slower than the night before.