ATHLETICS: Julian Drew
ON Saturday the country’s top middle distance athletes will do battle to secure a team berth from the remaining places still on offer for the world cross country championships in Durham, England on March 25.
But while there may be a welcome respite in the chance to exchange the winter sport of cross country for the more usual pursuits of track and road running at this time of year, the flat, hot and sandy conditions of Port Elizabeth will be a far cry from the hills, cold and mud the athletes can expect in Durham.
Those who harbour ambitions of going to England for anything more than a holiday would be well advised to get some real cross country races under their belts before lacing up their spikes at the end of March.
Those who make the team this year will be afforded the luxury of knowing that planning such practise races overseas will not be in vain.
Old Mutual’s three-year sponsorship of cross country, once the perennial bridesmaid in terms of athletics sponsorship, has meant that the full complement of athletes chosen to go to Durham can be assured of making the trip.
On the previous two occasions that South Africa has chosen teams to go to the world cross country championships, the athletes have had to wait until the very last minute as the sport’s administrators searched desperately for a sponsor.
Old Mutual, with the announcement this week that they will be sponsoring the national junior and senior track and field championships together with a series of talent seeker races over the next three years, now sponsor seven of Athletics South Africa’s major events and have given the once troubled sport some much needed
In Port Elizabeth, six places will be open for the nine-strong men’s team, four for the six-strong women’s team and all six places for both the junior men’s and women’s teams. Jacques van Rensburg, Simon Morolong and Meshack Mogotsi have already been selected for the men’s team by courtesy of finishing in the top three places at last October’s national cross country championships in Kimberley.
Zola Pieterse and Juliet Prowse have likewise already made the women’s team.
The athletes to watch out for on Saturday in the men’s race are under-21 champion Enoch Skosana, Western Province champion Makhosonke Fika and Universities champion Hendrick Ramaala from Wits.
These young turks could spring a few surprises on some of the more seasoned campaigners.
In the women’s race another relative newcomer, Melody Marcus from Western Province, will also be a handful for the older runners and should repeat her form from Kimberley where she just missed automatic selection when finishing third, she will be bound for England in
Elana Meyer is not available for selection because of her Boston Marathon commitments.
The junior races are more open but expect Vaal Triangle’s John Morapedi and Natal’s Richard Mncwabe to make the men’s team and Potchefstroom’s Lauren Hunter and Kroonstad’s Annah Motsoari to get on to the women’s