South Africa to send team of 31 to Barcelona - IAAF World Junior Championships

Athletics South Africa (ASA) has announced a final team of 31 athletes to represent the rainbow nation at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain from July 10-15, 2012.

The team, which consist of 14 male and 17 female athletes, is a good mix of experienced athletes and some newcomers to the World Championships.

Athletes such as Gerhard de Beer (discus throw) and Morné Moolman (Javelin throw) won medals at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Lille 2011, while others such as Duwayne Boer, Pieter Conradie, Jan-Louw Kotze and Fana Mofokeng also competed.

Seven of the female athletes have experience of competing at the World Championships too. They are: Liezl Hechter, Lezaan Jordaan, Thato Makhafola, Izelle Neuhoff, Janet Seeliger, Philippa van der Merwe and Stephanie Wicksell.

Duwayne Boer won the youth Long Jump at the Yellow Pages SA Schools and Junior Championships in Germiston with a leap of 7.68m, a massive improvement on his previous best of 7.20m at the World Youth Championships in France in 2011.

Boer is one of three talented youth athletes included in the team, the others being Julia Du Plessis in the high jump and new SA 800m Youth Record holder, Monique Stander.

The Full Team:

MEN

1. DUWAYNE BOER, AGN, Long Jump
2. PIETER CONRADIE, AGN, 400m, 4 x 100m, 4 x 400m
3. GERHARD DE BEER, AGN, Discus Throw
4. RUAN GREYLING, AGN, 400m, 4 x 100m, 4 x 400m
5. ANGES JULIES, WPA, 110mH, 4 x 100m (res)
6. JAN-LOUW KOTZE, BOLA, Discus Throw
7. ADAM LIPSHITZ, KZN, 3000 SC
8. THAPELO MADIBA, CGA, 800m, 4 x 400m (res)
9. MPHO MAPHUTHA, AGN, Long Jump
10. FANA MOFOKENG, AFS, 100m, 4 x 100m
11. MORNE MOOLMAN, WPA, Javelin Throw
12. SIPHELO NGQABAZA, AFS, 100m, 200m, 4 x 100m
13. BERNARD PRETORIUS, AGN, 400mH, 4 x 400m
14. TAARIQ SOLOMONS, WPA, 400mH, 4 x 400m

WOMEN

1. JULIA DU PLESSIS, CGA, High Jump
2. ANE FOURIE, WPA, 400mH, 4 x 400m
3. KAYLA GILBERT, CGA, 110mH
4. LIEZL HECHTER, ACNW, 200m, 4 x 100m
5. LEZAAN JORDAAN, CGA, Shot Put
6. THATO MAKHAFOLA, CGA, 800m
7. SIMONE MEYER, AGN, Discus
8. IZELLE NEUHOFF, AVT, 400mH, 4 x 400m
9. JUSTINE PALFRAMAN, KZN, 400m, 4 x 100m, 4 x 400m
10. NABEELA PARKER, WPA, 100m, 4 x 100m
11. JANET SEELIGER, AGN, 400m, 4 x 400m
12. ISCHKE SENEKAL, EPA, Discus
13. MONIQUE STANDER, CGA, 800m
14. PHILIPPA VD MERWE, ANCW, 100m, 4 x 100m
15. ZANRI VD MERWE, AGN, Long Jump, 4 x 100m
16. CHANTE VAN TONDER, CGA, 200m, 4 x 100m
17. STEPHANIE WICKSELL, AGN, 4 x 400m