Six athletes have been selected to represent South Africa at the World Race Walking Cup in Saransk, Russia from 12-13 May in the 20km and the 50km race walk. Both these events are Olympic events and any athlete reaching the Qualifying standard once will qualify for the Olympic Games.
Five of the six selected athletes that competed in the 20km walk at the Yellow Pages SA Senior Championships in Port Elizabeth on 14 April not only improved their best times, but also walked well within the time to qualify for the IAAF World Race Walking Cup. No female athletes reached the required times for team selection.
In a well contested race in Port Elizabeth on 14 April, the 22 year-old Lebogang Shange (AGN) won the 20km walk in 1:25:48 with the Central Gauteng athlete Pierre de Villiers finishing just behind him in 1:25:51. Shange, De Villiers, Snyman and Nel also competed at the SA Race Walking Championships in October in Cape Town last year where they took the first four positions comfortably. Marc Mundell, the SA 50km walk record holder, finished fourth in this race (1:26:35) ahead of Armond Nel from South Western Districts (1:27:41).
Mundell will represent South Africa in the 50km walk in Russia as he reached the qualifying standard for the longer distance at the SA Race Walking Championships in Cape Town in 2011 by winning the race in 04:22:14, well within the 4:35:00 qualifying mark for this race.
The full team:
20 km Walk Men
Lebogang Shange AGN
Pierre de Villiers CGA
Wayne Snyman AGN
Armond Nel ASWD
Thami Hlatswayo AGN
50 km Walk Men
Marc Mundell AGN
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