Sprinters expected to light up the track at Hezekiel Sepeng Invitational

All eyes will be locked on what is expected to be a thrilling men’s 100m race when the domestic senior athletics season gains momentum on Tuesday night (5.30pm start) at the Hezekiel Sepeng Invitational, a World Athletics Challenger Tour track and field meeting taking place in Potchefstroom.

The short dash should light up the track at NWU McArthur Stadium, with a packed line-up that features some of the fastest men in Africa.

The field includes national record holder Akani Simbine, a three-time Olympic Games finalist, as well as 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk, who will be eager to prove he still has the speed that made him the most versatile sprinter on the planet earlier in his career.

Other athletes to watch include African Championships medallist Benjamin Richardson, who previously represented South Africa but has switched allegiance to Ireland (though he is still based in Potchefstroom), and former World Athletics U20 Championships medallist Bradley Nkoana.

Other events

Aside from the men’s 100m sprint, a number of other events on the programme are likely to have the crowd on its feet.

The men’s long jump competition features five athletes who have cleared eight metres in their careers, spearheaded by former world champion and national record holder Luvo Manyonga, who will look to take another step forward after returning to top-flight competition last year following a second career ban for taking recreational drugs.

Manyonga is up against the likes of Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jovan van Vuuren and Namibian national record holder Lionel Coetzee.

Among the women, the biggest battle of the night is expected to be waged between local favourite Jo-Ane du Plessis and Czech athlete Nikola Ogrodnikova, who earned the silver and bronze medals respectively in the javelin throw final at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Other athletes in the entry lists include former world indoor champion Prudence Sekgodiso, who lines up in the women’s 800m race; Czech athlete Jakub Vadlejch, a three-time World Championships medallist who goes in the men’s javelin throw; and national women’s 100m hurdles record holder Marione Fourie, who is up against rising junior star Tumi Ramokgopa.