World indoor 800 metres champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi is set to turn on the pace, and it will be no surprise if SA’s top 1 500 metres men follow, in a bid for Olympic qualification, at the final ABSA Series meeting of the season at the Green Point stadium in Cape Town on Friday night.
The presence of Mulaudzi, fresh from his gold medal winning feat at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Budapest, could be just the tonic to inspire the likes of the in-form Clyde Colenso, Free Stater Johan Cronje and RAU’s Johan Pretorius, in their attempt to dip under the IAAF Olympic A standard qualifying time of 3 min 36:20 secs.
With cash incentives of R5 000 per athlete up for grabs for first time Olympic A standard qualifying performances, a blistering pace is expected to be set in the 1 500 metres.
RAU’s Ruben Ramolefi missed out on achieving the Olympic A standard qualification by less than a second at last week’s series meeting in Port Elizabeth, and will be hoping that the weather conditions will be as good as they were in the Friendly City, when he lines up in search of his third consecutive ABSA Series 3 000 metres steeplechase triumph at the Green Point stadium.
The highly experienced Petros Sithole will also be part of a classy steeplechase field, and Ramolefi will be a man on a mission to clock an Olympic qualifying time of 8:24:60 or faster.
Hendrik Ramaala will renew his rivalry with Shadrack Hoff over 5 000 metres at Friday’s meeting and a time of near the Olympic A standard of 13:21:50 could be on the cards, as the middle distance men seek to take advantage of track competition opportunities at the coast.
Rene Kalmer will have her sights set on the clock in a bid to go faster than the Olympic A standard qualifying time of 4:05:80.
World high jump champion Hestrie Cloete, who along with 400 metres hurdlers Okkert Cilliers and Alwyn Myburgh, hammer thrower Chris Harmse, sprinter Clint Venter, pole vaulter Okkert Brits and discus strongman Frantz Kruger, have all cashed in on the R5 000 Olympic A standard qualifying incentives during the series.
The crowds are expected to flock to the grandstand area at the pole vault when Africa record holder Okkert Brits joins the competition, while the 110 metres hurdles showdown between Shaun Bownes and local favourite Frikkie van Zyl always will have athletics fans on the edge of their seats.
The one lap showdown between Olympic 400 metres finalist Heide Seyerling and Estie Wittstock is eagerly-awaited and a time of near the Olympic A qualifying mark of 51:50 could be on the cards if the wind stays low on Friday. – Sapa