Bekker bags double podium at nationals
He was second in the U18 men's 3 000m and third in the 1 500m.
Kempies middle distance sensation Michael Bekker kept his promise of a top-three finish in his specialist 1 500m and 3 000m events at the ASA U16, U18, U20 and U23 track and field championships in Cape Town.
Bekker sensationally won the 1 500m and 3 000m golds during the CGA champs on March 15. Afterwards, he declared he would aim for a gold medal in the three-and-a-half-lap 1 500m race if all went well but would fight for a podium place if things got tough.
It was a successful championship for the Hoërskool Kempton Park learner, shattering his personal milestones in both distances.
In the U18 men’s 3 000m event, the CGA athlete’s aim was a place anywhere on the podium and achieved that with a well-calculated race to finish second in a PB 08:38.76. He finished 29 seconds behind the winner Olebogeng Mogapi of Athletics Gauteng North (AGN).
Kanetso Taole of Western Province Athletics (WPA) completed the top three in 08:38.85.
The fact that the top three all finished inside 08:38, showed how close the race was and Bekker should be credited for making it uncomfortable for Mogapi.
Although he missed his target in the 1 500m, he still managed a podium place, finishing the race in third place in a PB 03:55.78 to finish behind winner Emil Els of AGN and Athletics Free State’s De Villiers Lamprecht.
Els won in 03:53.82 with Lamprecht finishing 68 seconds off the pace in 03:54.50 for the silver.
Elsewhere, young Natalie Strydom clocked two top ten places in both the U16 girls’ 400m and 800m. She opened her account on day one on March 27 with a fifth place in the 400m heats, clocking 59.47 for ninth overall in single-lap race.
In the 800m heats on March 29, she clocked a massive PB 02:14.53 for fourth place to qualify for the finals.
The final featured a strong line-up that included WPA’s Jesse Nel, Boland’s Lara Stander and AGN’s Mamello Hankana. Nel dominated the race to win comfortably in 02:08.68 but Strydom held her own will hold her head high after finishing seventh in 02:15.07.
Stander was second in 02:09.01 and Athletics Free State’s (AFS) Liesa Kruger completed the top three 03.16 seconds behind the silver-medalist.
After three days of thrilling competition across four age groups, AGN was overall champions with 168 medals (74 gold, 48 silver and 46 bronze).
Athletics Central North West (ACNW) was second with 24 golds, 21 silver and 15 bronze medals. CGA finished third with 23 golds, 22 silver and 26 bronze medals.
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