Mbualeni Mulaudzi for Rome
The 12-legged Samsung Diamond League hits round number three on Thursday 26 May in Rome and South Africa’s Mbualeni Mulaudzi and LJ Van Zyl will be up against quality fields.
For Van Zyl, it is his second big race of 2011 having won in the 1st Samsung Diamond League in Doha on 6 May where he claimed the scalp of former World Champion, Bershawn Jackson.
Van Zyl may be a second faster than his main rivals in this race in 2011, but the pedigree he is up against includes Kerron Clement (2008 Olympic Games Silver Medal) and Angelo Taylor (2000 and 2008 Olympic Champion).
Kerron Clement has the fastest time of 47.24sec (run in 2005). He has had only one outing in 2011, clocking 48.74sec in Kingston, Jamaica on 7 May. Taylor’s 47.25sec was run on the Olympic Final in 2008; so far he has run the 400mh twice this year. His seasons best, a 49.67sec run in Daegu on 12 May.
Clement and Van Zyl have met 27 times, with the American coming up trumps 23 times to the 4 of Van Zyl. Likewise, Taylor holds a 7-4 edge over the South African.
The difference though this time round, is that Van Zyl has found new confidence, has lowered his flat 400m time to below 45sec (he ran 44.86 on 26 March) and with that has been able to run the two fastest times ever in South Africa for the 400mh. Those times and a sky-high confidence will be of huge value to him when the big duel happens on Thursday 26 May.
Mulaudzi is the second big South African name to be racing in Rome. He lines up in the 800m against a stellar field that until recently included the world record holder David Rudisha. The Kenyan though has withdrawn, nursing a tendonitis injury. This does not detract from the field though against whom Mulaudzi has decided to open his 2011 campaign. Included in the line up is Kenya’s Alfred Kirwa Yego, a World Champion, a World Championship Silver Medalist and an Olympic Bronze Medalist who boasts a best of 1.42;67 run in Rieti in 2009.
Then there is Boaz Kiplagat Lalang who’s best is 1.42;95, Antonio Riena (1.43;89), Asbel Kiprop (1.43;17) and Michael Rimmer (1.43;89).
Also in action is Sunette Viljoen in the Women’s Javelin. Her biggest competition coming in the form of Germany’s Christina Obergfoll (Olympic Bronze 2008) who has already thrown 64.53m (Halle 21 May) and Mariya Abakumova – 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist. Abakumova has gone over 65m (65.12m Adler 24 February) already this year. Viljoen is going to have to improve on her best so far this year of 58.70m if she wants to challenge Obergfoll or Abakumova.
Peter van der Westhuizen is better known as a 1500m athlete, but this time round he has decided to tackle the 5000m. With 9 of the 16 athletes entered having run under 13 minutes, van der Westhuizen is sure to be in the race of his life. If he can keep up with furious pace, he could very well shatter his own personal best of 14.20;65 and possibly even get close to the 13.20 required for qualification to the World Championships.
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