South Africans in Europe
Olivier just misses second qualifier in Oordegem
Andre Olivier came close to running his second Olympic A-Qualifier in the men’s 800m at the 21st Memorial Leon Buyle in Oordegem on 2 June. Olivier won the race in 1:45.96, missing the 1:45.60 by3/10th .A pacemaker had been out on for the race, but when he went through 400m in 53.50sec, it left the field with too much work to do.
At the same meeting, Lehann Fourie made his comeback after being unable to compete due to a minor injury. He won his race in the men’s 110m hurdles, clocking his best time of the season, 13.72sec, just slower than the 13.52 Olympic Qualifying A-standard. His time was the third fastest of the two110m hurdle races.
Mandie Brandt won the women’s 800m in 2:05.13 while Carla Marais competed in the long jump and won with 6.28m (2.3m/sec wind assisted) whilst another South African, Monja Goosen finished second with 5.98m. Charlene Potgieter won the women’s triple jump with a leap of 13.23m with Matsi Dikotla second, her best attempt measured at 12.89m
Engel second in Geneve
Roscoe Engel competed at the Meeting International de Geneve in Switzerland on Saturday, 2 June where he finished second in the men’s 100m behind Simone Collio (ITA). Engel clocked 10.32sec ahead of Emmanuel Biron (FRA) in 10.33sec. Collio’s winning time was 10.27sec. Engel also ran in the 200m where he finished sixth in 20.83sec. Likourgos-Stefanos Tsakonas (GRE) won the race in 20.52sec.
In the men’s 400m race Shaun de Jager clocked 46.77sec for a sixth place finish behind Chris Clarke from Great Britain. The first four athletes in this race won by Conrad Williams (45.08sec) all recorded personal best times. The men’s 400m consisted of three different races with the fastest times clocked in the first race. The second race was won in 45.47sec and the third in 47.10sec.
Carina Horn and Amandine Elard (FRA) shared fourth place after both clocked 11.85sec in the women’s 100m. Audrey Alloh won in 11.49sec with compatriot Jessica Paoletta second in 11.74sec. Sweden’s Carolina Kluft came third in 11.83sec. Horn clocked 23.97sec in the 200m and finished sixth.
Janet Lawless clocked her best time of the season in the women’s 400m hurdles. The 27-year-old finished sixth in 56.16sec. This was another race where the first four athletes clocked personal bests. Eilidh Child (GBR) won the race in 54.96sec.
In the long jump, Patience Ntshingila won with a jump of 6.15 m, with second place going to Dominique Blaize (GBR).
De Vries second in Floro
Ruan de Vries and Estie Wittstock competed at the Hyundai Grand Prix Florø Friidrettsfestival on 2 June in Norway. De Vries ran in the men’s 110m hurdles where he finished second in 14.16sec behind Philip Nossmy (SWE) who won the race in 13.93sec. The 26-year old Tuks athlete ran against a strong headwind (-2.4m/sec). Vladimir Zhukov from Russia finished third (14.46sec.)
In the 200m for women, Estie Wittstock ran her best time this season, clocking 23.80sec to finish third behind Folake Akinvemi from Norway in 23.72sec. The race was won by compatriot Ezinne Okparaebo who clocked a personal best of 23.30sec.
Samsung Diamond League Prefontaine Classic
Oscar Pistorius competed in the men’s 400m at the fourth leg of the Samsung Diamond League in Eugene Oregon on 2 June. Pistorius however again failed to reach the 45.30sec A-standard to qualify for the Olympics as he finished seventh in 46.86sec.
Meeting Résisprint, Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland – 3 June
Simon Magakwe finished second in the men’s 100m race and was timed at 10.33sec behind Jimmy Vicaut (FRA). Vicaut clocked 10.30sec. Hannes Dreyer and Waide Jooste finished fourth and fifth, timed at 10.43sec and 10.63sec respectively.
Thuso Mpuang’s 20.97sec win in the men’s 200m was the fastest time out of the three races that took place. Lebogang Moeng clocked 21.28sec for second place finish in a race won by Chris Clarke from Great Britain. Clarke was timed at 21.04sec.
Willem de Beer and Shaun de Jager won their respective races in the men’s 400m after clocking 47.07sec and 46.65sec respectively while Tsholefelo Thipe clocked 23.76sec in the women’s 200m.
Rorisang Rammonye won the women’s 400m in 53.97sec.
Wenda Theron is still looking for the elusive 55.50sec A-standard after finishing second in 56.67sec. The race was won by Yadesleidis Pedroso (CUB) in 56.40sec.
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