South Africa to send 31 athletes to Berlin World Championships

Athletics South Africa (ASA) has announced a team of 31 athletes for the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin. The Championships will take place from 15 to 23 August.

“There is still chance for athletes to qualify for inclusion in the team before the deadline of 03 August set for entries by the IAAF “said Mr. Molatelo Malehopo, ASA General Manager in a released statement.

Athletics South Africa is leaving nothing to chance to improve on their performance at the last two Championships.

The team departing today for Germany will attend two training camps prior to the Championships to ensure that the team members will be in the best shape possible for the Championships. The first training camp will be held from 17 to 26 July in Potsdam and will be followed by a training camp at Nieu Brandenburg up to 12 August when the team will move into the Athletes Village.

Team members have been competing with great success in recent European meetings and their performances hold much promise for the World Championships where South Africa will go all out to improve on their failures at recent Championships where they did not win medals.

Khotso Mokoena recently set a new SA and Africa record of 8,50m in the long jump and rank amongst the favourites to walk away with the gold medal in Berlin.

Sunette Viljoen with her new SA and Africa record of 65,43m in the javelin at the World Universiade moved into the top echelon of women javelin throwers the world and much is also expected of her.

Similarly, LJ van Zyl seems to be striking form at the right time in the 400m hurdles and his performance of 48,18 secs in Athens this week put him right up there with the favourites chasing the gold medal.

Stalwart Mbulaeni Mulaudzi had a late start to his European campaign but quickly improved to 1:44,81.  Mulaudzi is an experienced campaigner and will definitely be up there challenging for A MEDAL.

Janice Josephs, if she can produce her 6,75m form in Port Elizabeth earlier this year can also be amongst the front runners in the long jump while ever improving Ruben Ramolefi will be closely watched in the steeplechase.

The resurgence in middle distance running in the country saw the inclusion of three 1500m runners in Juan van Deventer, Johan Cronje and Peter van der Westhuizen in the team with promising Caster Semenya who can spring a major surprise in the women’s 800m.

Willem Coertzen excellent performances and a new SA record in the decathlon also earned him a first call up to the World Championships.

In addition, ASA presented South Africa’s 4X400m relay team with their bronze medals from the 1999 World Championships in Seville.

The quartet - consisting of Arnaud Malherbe, Hendrick Mokganyetsi, Jopie van Oudtshoorn and Adriaan Botha - were promoted from fourth to third position after a member of the winning US team, Antonio Pettigrew, admitted last year to doping at the time and they were disqualified.

ASA Team to the 12th IAAF World Championships:

Team management: 

• Kakata Maponyane (Head of Delegation), 
• Hendrick Mokganyetsi (Manager), 
• Phiwe Mlangeni-Tsholetsane (Manager), 
• Humile Bogatsu (Assistant Manager), 
• Dr. Ekkart Arbeit (Head Coach), 
• Wilfred Daniels (Middle Distance), 
• Danson Muchoki (Marathon), 
• Dup du Preez (Throws), 
• Elna de Beer (Jumps), 
• Magda Botha & Eugene Thipe (Sprints), 
• Dr. Harold Adams (Team Doctor), 
• Tumelo Komane (Physiotherapist), 
• Aneurin Robyn (Physiotherapist).