Middle-distance runners were dismayed at the samll number of events there were at which they could qualify for the world championships – but help is at hand
ATHLETICS: Julian Drew
WHEN Athletics South Africa (ASA) suspended all athletics activities in the Boland at the end of January the ramifications of its action hit home far beyond the athletes of that troubled province. The cream of South Africa’s middle-distance talent suddenly found themselves with even fewer opportunities to qualify for August’s world championships in Athens.
This season’s permit meeting programme now provides extremely limited opportunities at the coast. For the men there is just one 1 500m race, two over 5 000m, one at 10 000m and one in the 3 000m steeplechase. For the women there are two 1 500m races, one over 5 000m and none at 10 000m.
With the majority of middle-distance athletes coming from the inland provinces – where the lack of oxygen at high altitude makes it almost impossible to produce world championship qualifying performances in these events – not surprisingly there was consternation in their ranks as the chances of securing a trip to Athens evaporated before their eyes. “They became very disillusioned and began talking about forgetting the track season and going back on to the road,” said one top middle-distance coach.
Such sentiments seem quite justified, bearing in mind ASA’s recent track record in addressing the needs of athletes. But then the unexpected happened. Somewhere from within the corridors of power came whispers that ASA was actually going to help the athletes qualify for Athens.
Could the tide be turning at ASA? It would certainly appear so. Instead of the political ranting of the men in suits a voice of reason is now to be heard. That could be because the influence of a man with a genuine love and understanding of the sport is beginning to be felt.
The recent appointment of Richard Stander as development manager of ASA has coincided with a newfound commitment to the athletes ASA is in place to serve. “We are looking at ways we can assist them (middle-distance athletes),” says Stander in response to the quandary facing the top middle-distance runners.
“If we don’t organise other meetings we will help them to attend meetings even if it means taking them overseas. We are going to do everything in our power to help them qualify for the world championships.”
That would obviously entail taking them to Europe in May or June which would not satisfy ASA’s selection criteria which state that “athletes wishing to be eligible for selection onto the squad (provisional team) to compete at the world championships should attain the ASA qualifying standard at least once before the end of the season”.
But even these criteria are not set in stone, according to Stander. “We are going to select a squad at the end of the season but that squad will include not only those who have qualified but also those who haven’t yet qualified but have the potential to do so. We are going to assist these athletes as much as we can. We are going to keep an open mind right up until the International Amateur Athletic Federation’s cut-off time (two weeks before the world championships),” says Stander.
“I’m a coach and although I’m responsible for development now I’m still a coach. I know how coaches think and I know how athletes think. I envisaged these things could become a problem so I went and found out what the situation was and I’ve been ensured right up to board level that this is the case.”
Such pronouncements will be heartening indeed to all athletes in with a chance of qualifying for Athens because it will give them a chance to record their marks closer to the world championships and thus ensure a greater possibility of peaking in Athens when it really counts.
Among the options being explored to help the middle-distance athletes during the local season is using the Transnet fund – created to assist this segment of the sport – to take top-class fields of runners to provincial league meetings at venues like Cape Town, Port Elizabeth or Durban. That is not the only avenue being investigated, however.
“We are currently negotiating to take the full squad, including those who haven’t qualified, over to Europe before the world championships for a training camp and give them opportunities over there to qualify. We are going to help the athletes as much as we can. That’s what we are here for,” says Stander.
On Friday evening, however, there will be an opportunity for at least some of the middle-distance athletes to book their place in the squad to Athens at the Volkswagen permit meeting in Port Elizabeth. The fields of the men’s mile, 10 000m and steeplechase and the women’s 1 500m are all brimming with talent and should the wind stay away some fast times could be on the cards.
Although the mile is not a world championship event, timekeepers have been arranged at the 1 500m mark and Kenny Bouwer, coach at Pretoria Correctional Services, is confident that two of his athletes can break ASA’s 1 500m qualifying time of 3:36.00. “It’s time for Johannes Job and Arnoldo Sepakwe to break through in the 1 500m. Although Arnoldo’s had an injury recently he’s been training well and they will be running the race as though it’s a 1 500m race and then just hang on for the mile,” says Bouwer.
In the 10 000m the South African record could be in danger, although the self-effacing Hendrick Ramaala – the man best equipped to do the job – is not making any brash predictions. After a successful stint on the World Cross Challenge circuit in Europe, Ramaala returned a little jaded but he was very happy with his speed sessions on the track last week and – should he have recovered and the weather is favourable – Xolile Yawa’s 10-year-old record of 27:39.65 could be consigned to the history books.
A lot will also depend on whether a pacemaker can be found for Ramaala because Bouwer will be using one of his many athletes in the race to pace his runners to a qualifying time of below 28 minutes. “Aaron Gabonewe (world junior 5 000m bronze medallist) is going to do the donkey work. He will take them to 4 km, jog from 4 km to 6km and then pick up the pace again through to9 km because that’s where they lost it last year,” says Bouwer.
The field will also include Laban Nkete, Patrick Koatsane, Meck Mothuli, Johannes Mabitle, Simon Morolong, Stephen Phofi, Tsunaki Kalamore, Andries Khulu, and Adam Motlagale and if three athletes can dip under 28 minutes it will be a huge step in the right direction.
The steeplechase too will have a strong field which could put Whaddon Niewoudt’s five-year-old national record of 8:19.00 on the line. That would be well inside ASA’s qualifying time of 8:25.00.
Although the women’s 1 500m field is also the strongest available, only Olympic finalist Gwen Griffiths – who is building up for the world indoor championships in three weeks’ time – looks capable of beating the ASA qualifying time of 4:10.00.
ENDS