TUESDAY, 11.00AM:
SOUTH AFRICA’S 800m trio — Hezekiel Sepeng, Marius van Heerden and Hendrix Mokganyetsi — advanced to the second round at the World Athletics Championships in Athens on Monday night.
Sepeng, who ran in the first and fastest heat of the five, finished second in 1min 46,42sec behind the world record holder Wilson Kipketer of Denamrk. “In the back straight I wasn’t sure I would be able to kick,” he said. “I thought I would have to fight to get into the top four because there were five guys with us, but when we got into the straight, I lifted my legs and moved forward.”
Van Heerden and Mokganyetsi finished third and fourth in their respective heats. Van Heerden clocked a time of 1min 47,56sec and Mokganyetsi clocked 1min 48,10sec.