FRIDAY, 12.30PM:
SOUTH African Elana Meyer broke her own world 21,1km best time at the Kyoto City half marathon in Japan on Sunday, exactly a year after beating German Uta Pippig’s time in the same race.
Last March the athlete from Stellenbosch ran in a time of 67minutes 36seconds. She bettered that mark by seven seconds on Sunday to defeat Japanese runner Hiroku Nomura by almost four seconds in a time of 67:29.
Meyer stormed through 5km in 15:45, 10km in 31:41, 15km in 48:03 and 20km in 64:05. Meyer travels to Colorado in the United States on Monday to start her preparations for the Boston Marathon to be run in six weeks’ time.
SPORT BRIEFS
WINTER TOUR SCHEDULE
THE Southern African golf tour on Sunday announced the winter schedule for this year’s Vodacom Tour:
Schedule:
April 16-18: Vodacom Series: Western Cape — Rondebosch — R165000
April 23-25: Kalahari Classic — Sishen — R75000
May 5: Absa Corporate Bank Pro-Am — Houghton
May 14-16: Vodacom Series: Eastern Cape — Humewood R165000
May 29-31: Vodacom Series: KwaZulu Natal — venue to be confirmed — R165000
June 2: Absa Corporate Bank Pro-Am — Durban CC
July 10-12: Vodacom Series: Mpumalanga — White River R165000
July 21: Absa Corporate Bank Pro-Am — Pretoria
August 19-20: PGA’s Cup — Germiston — R80000
Sep 2-4: Absa Gauteng Corporate Challenge — Roodepoort — R150000
Sep 11-13: Bearing Man Highveld Classic — Witbank — R100000
Sep 17-19: Vodacom Series: Free State — Schoeman Park — R165000
Sep 25-27: FNB Botswana Open — Gaborone — R150000
Oct 2-4: Phalaborwa Mafunyane Trophy — Hans Merensky — R175000
Oct 6: Absa Corporate Bank Pro-Am — Stellenbosch
Oct 14-16: Vodacom Series: Gauteng — Royal Johannesburg — R165000
Oct 23-25: FNB Namibia Open — Windhoek — R150000
Nov 6-8: Platinum Classic — Mooinooi — R100000
Nov 13-15: Cock of the North — Ndola — R100000
Nov 19-22: Zambia Open — Lusaka — R300000
Nov 26-29: Zimbabwe Open — Venue and purse to be confirmed.
CASH BOOST FOR SA GP HOPES
SOUTH Africa may still have a chance to host a Formula One Grand Prix during this season after concluding financial support from a local cellphone network operator. A decision will be taken on March 18 by FIA, the world governing body, to increase the number of events from 16 to 17 races. If the decision is positive, South Africa is very likely to be the winner. Vodacom is thought to be behind the estimated R250-million sponsorship, which could secure an SA Grand Prix for the next five years.
UNDER-23 TEAM NAMED
THE South African Under-23 cycling team to tour Italy from April 25 to May 1 has been named.
The team is: David george, Robert hunter, Tiaan kannemeyer, Kosie Loubser, Morne Bester, Neil McDonald. Rserve: James Perry.
LANGE WINS ARGUS
MALCOLM LANGE, overlooked for the national team that recently competed in the Tour de Lankawi in Malaysia, won the world’s largest participation cycle race, the Pick ‘n Pay Argus cycle marathon, in Cape Town on Sunday. Lange won in a time of 2 hours 39 minutes and 25 seconds. About 27 000 cyclists competed in the event.
BOSSENGER’S FIRST TON
WENDELL BOSSENGER, 21-year old Griqualand West batsman, scored his maiden first-class century in Kimberley on Sunday. Bossenger’s unbeaten 124 helped his side to the formidable total of 425/9 declared on the fourth day of their Supersport Series match against Natal.
KORKIE FIASCO
THE Korkie 50km marathon was left in disarray on Sunday after marshalls abandoned their points due to wet weather. The first eight runners took the wrong route because they had no-one to direct them. The runners in the front were delayed for more than five minutes after getting lost. The race was eventually won by Willie Bernhardt in a time of 3:08.18.
RAMAALA RUNNER-UP
SOUTH Africa’s Hendrik Ramaala finished second to Kenyan Paul Tergat in the famous Cinque Mulini Five Mills race on Sunday. Tergat won in 34 minutes 37 seconds, with Ramaala coming in just five seconds later.
PAINFUL VICTORY FOR KARATE WOMEN
SOUTH African women’s Karate team members Christelle Weber and Carol Anne Joseph will be feeling elation with pain after their team beat the New Zealand Karate Women 3-1 at a tournament held in Wellington, New Zealand. Weber and Joseph suffered a broken nose and concussion respectively, after the Kiwi ladies used excessive force, and were disqualified as a result.