Sprint sensation Bayanda Walaza and hurdles prodigy Tumi Ramokgopa were the standout performers on Wednesday, with both athletes shattering national junior records at the second leg of the ASA Grand Prix series at UJ Stadium in Johannesburg.
Just four days after becoming the first SA junior athlete to go under 10 seconds over the 100m distance, Walaza shone again, storming to victory in the 200m sprint in 20.08.
He clipped 0.02 off the national U20 record of 20.10 set by Clarence Munyai in Tshwane in March 2017.
The 19-year-old sprinter finished well clear of Lucky Moleyane who took second place in 20.36, while former World Championships finalist Luxolo Adams grabbed third spot in 20.43.
While the race was held in cold and wet conditions, Walaza was delighted with his performance.
“The weather wasn’t great, but I believe when you’re fast you don’t have to complain about anything,” Walaza said afterwards.”You cannot control the weather so you just have to make it work for you, rather than doubting yourself.
“We were truly shocked about the sub-10 (last week) and we thought ‘let’s just see what strength I have left over’. We believed the 9.99 had taken everything, so we didn’t expect me to run this fast today.”
Ramokgopa breaks hurdles record
Though she didn’t win her race, 17-year-old Ramokgopa was also in record-breaking form, taking second place in the women’s 100m hurdles race in 13.22 and slicing 0.13 off the SA junior record of 13.35 set by Taylon Bieldt in Bydgoszcz in July 2016.
Up front, national senior record holder Marione Fourie took the win in 12.69, setting a season’s best as she continued to shine despite the sudden death of her coach Jaun Strydom last week.
“I’m overwhelmed. I’m in disbelief,” said Ramokgopa, who set a 400m hurdles personal best of 56.48 just hours earlier on Wednesday, on the Grand Prix pre-programme.
“I knew running against Marione, she was going to push me to run an SA record, but I didn’t think I would run this fast. This means a lot, to break the record in my first year as a junior.”
Other results
Among other standout performances, world junior 400m champion Udeme Okon produced a stunning victory in the men’s one-lap race in 45.27, taking 0.14 off his personal best.
Okon held off a challenge from Olympic semifinalist Lythe Pillay, who took the runner-up spot in 45.74.
African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya won the men’s 100m race in 10.08, while Ketlhobogile Haungura of Botswana took the 800m contest in 1:43.88, and 20-year-old Wernich van Rensburg took the men’s 400m hurdles race in 49.24.
National champion Viwe Jingqi won the women’s 100m race in 11.32, Shirley Nekhubui took the women’s 400m contest in 22.98, and hurdler Zeney Geldenhuys beat the flat specialists to win the women’s 400m event in 51.26.
Nikithemba Hani produced the highlight in the field events, landing at 8.01m to win the men’s long jump.
* Featured image of Tumi Ramokgopa by Cecilia van Bers
