Local and international athletes light up Potch at Grand Prix series
NWU athlete and middle distance specialist, Danielle Verster also impressed with a superb run to take first place.
It was a sight to behold as top local and international stars strutted their stuff at the first leg of the ASA Grand Prix series at the NWU McArthur Stadium on Thursday, 14 March.
One of the highlights was the sprinter Viwe Jingqi, who won the women’s 200 m sprint in 23.55 seconds. In the women’s 100 m sprint, Leonette Vosloo crossed the line in 11.90 to stun the rest of the field, dipping on the line to edge Norway’s Line Kloster (11.91) by 0.01. Rising South African stars also won the men’s 100 m and 200 m sprints, with Bradley Nkoana clocking 10.40 to take the short dash and training partner Benjamin Richardson winning the half-lap contest in 20.89.
“I’m delighted with the win. The conditions were windy and a bit chilly, so it wasn’t a fast time, but we’ll take it and move on to the next race. A win is a win,” Nkoana said. “Right now, I’m focusing on the national championships later this season, and hopefully, things will go as well as planned.”
Other local athletes who stood out during the main programme included African 400 m hurdles champion Zeney Geldenhuys, who won the women’s flat 400 m sprint in 51.80. Jerry Motsau produced a solo effort to win the men’s 3,000 m steeplechase in 7:56.
In the field, Olympic finalist Kyle Blignaut produced a best effort of 20.10 m to win the men’s shot put. Former World u.20 Championships silver medallist Brian Raats won the high jump after clearing the bar at 2.25 m. Danielle Nolte won the women’s long jump with a leap of 6.54 m.
Among a strong foreign contingent, Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic won the men’s javelin throw with a best heave of 87.00 m.
Ismail Doudai Abakar of Qatar won the men’s 400 m hurdles race in 48.68, qualifying for this year’s Olympic Games in Paris. Slimane Moula of Algeria clocked a quick 1:14.52 to take the men’s 600 m race, and Kethlobogile Haingura of Botswana won the men’s 800 m race in 1:45.14.
