Shotputter Marli Knoetze, bronze medallist at the World Youth Athletics Championships in Canada last year, provided one of the highlights at the Southern African Regional Junior championships this weekend when she won her event with a career-best distance of 15,67m.
The 16-year-old girl from Levubu in the Limpopo province also clinched first place in the discus with a distance of 45,92m — this in conditions that did not favour the athletes.
The South African athletes, most of whom will represent South Africa at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Italy in July, dominated proceedings and returned home with most of the medals.
Justine Robbeson, currently the world’s leading junior in the heptathlon, won four gold medals with fine individual performances in the 100m hurdles, javelin and long jump.
Another South African shot-putter, Ross Jordaan, won the men’s event with a personal best of 18,36m, surpassing the world junior qualifying distance of 17,9m for the first time.
His previous best was 17,85m, which he achieved in 2003.
Knoetze’s improvement has been remarkable.
Since the South African Junior and Senior Championships in April she has added 40cm to the personal best of 15,21m she recorded a year ago.
Her best during the recent South African season was 15,09m.
Her main rival, Simone du Toit (15), who improved her best to 15,28m during the South African season and had the better of Knoetze at the South African Senior and Youth championships, finished second with a distance of 14,82m. — Sapa