Comeback run!

Monday 03/08/2009

In an effort to make a comeback to running I opted doing the 21km @ PPC instead of the 42 as everyone expected. 2 Years of non-stop marathons can impact ones psyche so I've decided to lay off from the marathons for a while and try and re-kindle the love for a sport I once enjoyed! I don't regret my decision and am looking forward to doing many more races :-)

Zandberg wins bronze in Rome

Gerhard Zandberg powered his way to a bronze medal in the 50m backstroke final at the world swimming championships in Rome on Sunday.

Watch the race: Gerhard Zandberg

With all eyes on Great Britain's Liam Tancok, who set a new world record of 24.08 in the morning's semifinal, and 100m champion Japanese ace Junya Koga swimming out of lane 4 and 5 respectively, it was Zandberg the defending champion, who was fastest off the wall.

At the halfway stage it was too close to call. Zandberg lurked.

Going into the wall the powerfully built Tancock surged to claim the title in a new world mark of 24.04, well ahead of Koga on 24.24 and Zandberg on 24.34.

"There is no 50m backstroke event at the Olympic Games, so I will be working on my 100m backstroke swimming as well and have already warned Tancock and Koga that I will be chasing them down during the next year," said Zandberg afterwards.

"I have not been training as much as I should have been between last year's Beijing Olympics and these World Championships. I plan on going to Germany some time in the next few months to train with my former coach Dirk Lange.

"For now, I am just over the moon. I had a good start to the race, but those overhead backstroke flags towards the end of the 50m couldn't come quick enough. I am just so happy to get a medal."

Zandberg's time was inside his previous best of 24.68 set in the heats and semifinals and took the African record tally of times bettered by the South African contingent at the world championships to 20.

So as the curtain comes down on the 13th Fina World Swimming Championships, it is now time to reflect on performances, not only of the SA athletes but of those who administer and coach the sport.

While there are concerns with performances of some of the more senior athletes in the squad, the emergence of ‘the young guns’ has been encouraging and confirms the depth of talent in South African swimming.

But will one gold medal and three bronze medals be enough?

If one takes into account that three of those medals were gained in non-Olympic events (the 5km open water, 50m breaststroke and 50m backstroke), then the cupboard is actually rather bare.

So as the sands of time move towards 2012, the domestic aquatics fraternity will look at developments with great interest as to what transpires in the lead-up to what is without a doubt the pinnacle of any swimmer's career, the Olympic Games.

Most of the athletes and coaches will only have a short time to ponder on these concerns as the SA Short Course Championships get under way at the Jolliffe Pool in Pietermaritzburg on Friday, with most of the world championships participants expected to be in attendance.

Tuesday 04/08/2009

I've made no secret of who I voted for!














Second choice :










Other favourites :






















Final team for world champs announced

Athletics South Africa (ASA) on Tuesday announced a final team of 25 men and six women for the IAAF World Championships taking place in Berlin, Germany, from August 15 to 23 .

The team attended a training camp in Potsdam, Germany, in July and of late have been sharpening up at another venue in Neubrandenburg, Germany.

"ASA's efforts are bearing fruit as can be seen in the performances of several athletes during the past two weeks which made them strong contenders for the finals and medal places at the Championships, said ASA's general manager, Molatelo Malehopo.

Caster Semenya stunned the world with her performance last week in the 800m at the African Junior Championships in Mauritius and she is at the moment the world's top woman 800m runner. She will join the group in Germany shortly.

LJ van Zyl became the world's number one athlete this year in the 400m hurdles when he dipped under 48 seconds in Monaco.

Johan Cronje also moved among the world's top athletes when he came just short of Johan Landsman's SA record of 3:33,56.

Ruben Ramolefi is currently in 11th place on the world list in the 3 000m steeplechase, Khotso Mokoena continued his consistent form in the long jump and is currently rated third in the world, while Sunette Viljoen proved she was in the right frame of mind with her distance of 63,51m in the javelin at Leverkusen.

Lehann Fourie, who at the moment is studying in the US, and who reached the B qualification standard at the World Universiade in Belgrade in the 110m hurdles is also included.

The athletes in the training camp will compete on Wednesday at a meeting in Spandau to ascertain their fitness levels before the Championships.

The team consist of:

Men:

Simon Magakwe, 100m and 4x100m (ACNW); Tshegofatso Meshoe, 200m and 4x100m (ANWN); Thuso Mpuang, 200m and 4x100m (AFS); Kagisho Kumbane, 4x100m (AFS); Hannes Dreyer, 4x100m (AGN); Leigh Julius, 4x100 (EPA); Lehann Fourie, 110m Hurdles (AGN); Pieter Smith, 400m and 4x400m(AGN); Louis (LJ) van Zyl, 400mH and 4x400m (AGN); Ofentse Mogawane, 4x400m (AGN); Sibusiso Sishi, 4x400m (CGA); Jacob Ramokoka, 4x400m (ANWN); Paul Gorries, 4x400m (EPA); Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, 800m (CGA); Samson Ngoepe, 800m (LIMA); Johan Cronje, 1 500m (AFS); Peter van der Westhuizen, 1500m (CGA); Ruben Ramolefi, 3000m Sc (CGA); Khotso Mokoena, Long Jump (AGN); Willem Coertzen, Decathlon (ACNW); Chris Harmse, Hammer Throw (AFS), Robert Oosthuizen, Javelin (BOLA); Norman Dlomo, Marathon (AVT); Coolboy Ngamole, Marathon (CGA); and Johannes Kekana, Marathon (CGA).

Women:

Isabel le Roux, 200m (AGN); Caster Semenya, 800m (AGN); Janice Josephs, Long Jump (BOLA); Sunette Viljoen, Javelin (ACNW); Elizna Naude, Discus (AFS); Tanith Maxwell, Marathon (KZNA).

Wednesday 05/08/2009

Roffey to defend title at Totalsports ladies race

Elite South African runner Anneline Roffey (28) will return to Stellenbosch on Sunday, 09 August 2009 to defend her title at the fast paced 2009 10km Totalsports Ladies Race.

According to Roffey, her racing career started in primary school. "My dad was a runner, so I grew up going to races to support him. I guess it has always been in my blood. I only started training hard after school though. This will be my 4th Totalsports Ladies Race and I am really looking forward to it. Stellenbosch is the perfect venue for the race as it is a beautiful town with so many stunning running routes and it has a great atmosphere.

The route is very fast and flat, which is ideal for runners who want to beat their personal best times. It’s also perfect for runners who want to complete their first 10km race. The participating athletes come from all walks of life and range from elite runners to social runners and even walkers. All competitors can therefore enjoy the event without feeling intimidated. The atmosphere on the day is amazing, as everybody has a great time, whether they are there to win the race or just to enjoy the route!

I love the idea of celebrating Women’s Day with a group of women. There is something magical about standing at the start line with thousands of woman surrounding you. The ambience is unbelievable,’ says Roffey, who will be attempting to beat her 2008 time of 34mins41secs.

Roffey’s impressive track record includes victories at the 2006 and 2008 Peninsula Half-Marathon as well as the 2007 and 2009 Knysna Half-Marathon, the 2006 Voet van Afrika Half-Marathon and the 2009 Miles-of-Smiles Half-Marathon. She was also the runner-up at the recently held 2009 Knysna Half-Marathon and can boast a third place finish at the 2007 Munchen Germany 10km Race.

Proceeds raised at the 2009 Totalsports Ladies Race will go to the JAG Foundation. Formed in order to give the youth of South Africa the opportunity to develop and achieve their potential through sport and education, the Foundation focuses on education and sport development at grassroots level. JAG aims to give young South Africans hope and encouragement to dream and to transform their dreams into achievable realities.