Team SA falter in Osaka
Brad Morgan
27 August 2007
South Africa's challenge at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan got off to a faltering start on the weekend as the country's male marathoners failed to make an impression and a powerful contingent of 400 metres hurdlers failed to deliver performances anywhere near what they are capable of.
The conditions for the marathon - the first medal event of the championships - which started at 07:00 were hot and humid. Ultimately, the five South Africans in the race succumbed to the challenge that the humidity and the course posed.
They quintet was near the front of the pack in the early running, but by the halfway mark only Hendrick Ramaala and Norman Dlomo remained in contact with the leaders.
Struggling for air
Ramaala, with a best time of under two hours and eight minutes this year, admitted he was struggling for air by halfway. Meanwhile, George Mofokeng was back in 36th place, Two
Oceans Marathon champion Bethuel Netshifhefhe was further back in 62nd spot, and Zongamele Dyubeni had dropped out of the race.
As the course hit a climb, Kenya's William Kipligat and Luke Kibet upped the pace, with Qatar's Mubarak Hassan Shami (formerly Richard Yatich of Kenya) and Eritrea's Yared Asmeron shadowing them.
Then, at the 30 kilometre mark, Kibet surged away from Kipligat and into sole possession of the lead.
He went on to win in 2:15:59, which was the slowest winning time in championship history.
Ramaala was the top South African finisher, ending 27th in 2:26:00, while Mofokeng finished in 53rd position in 2:40:22. Dlomo and Netshifhefhe withdrew after 30 kilometres.
Hopes dashed
The Rainbow Nation had high hopes in the 400 metres hurdles with three highly ranked athletes contesting the heats. However, those hopes were soon dashed.
In a huge shock, LJ van Zyl, ranked second in the world and already a
winner over the world's best this season at the IAAF Golden Gala meeting in Rome, failed to advance beyond his first round heat.
Showing his lack of experience, the 22-year-old under-estimated his opposition and made some mistakes during the race which resulted in him failing to progress.
Looking back on the race, he said that after passing the USA's Derrick Williams at the fifth hurdle, he eased back. Four runners then passed him, leading him to make a frantic sprint for the line. Even then, Van Zyl mistimed his dip to finish fifth in 49.71, a time well off his best.
Groin injury
There was further disappointment for South Africa in the second heat when Alwyn Myburgh was forced out of the race down the back straight by the recurrence of a groin injury.
Van Zyl was, meanwhile, still hoping to qualify as one of the four fastest finishers outside of the automatic qualifiers from each heat. His hopes were shattered in heat four,
however.
The race was won by Olympic champion Felix Sanchez, who ran his season's best, in a time of 48.70, with world number one, Greece's Periklís Iakovákis finishing second and South Africa's third 400 metres hurdles entrant, Pieter de Villiers, taking third.
Running in one of three semi-final heats, De Villiers finished fifth in 49.37, thus missing out on the medal deciding final.
With Van Zyl's shock elimination from the event, South Africa's major medal hope now lies with Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, ranked number one in the world in the 800 metres. The heats start on Thursday.
Other SA results
Hammer thrower Chris Harmse, who has missed many major championships because of his religious decision not to compete on Sundays was finally afforded the opportunity to make his mark in Osaka. His effort was, however, disappointing.
He missed out on qualifying for the final after a throw of 71.07 metres, followed by two
no-throws.
In the men's 100 metres, Sherwin Vries ran in the same first round heat as the eventual champion, Tyson Gay. He clocked 10.30 seconds to finish in third, behind the race winner Nobuharu Asahara, with Gay taking second.
Running in the third heat of the quarterfinals, Vries then finished well out of the running, ending seventh in 10.36 and failing to advance.
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