South African Team Named for World Championships

A 24-member national team has been announced by Athletics South Africa for the IAAF World Championships in London, England, to be held from 4-13 August, 2017.

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The final team includes all four medallists from last year’s Rio Olympic Games.

World 400m record holder, Wayde van Niekerk – who sprinted to a meet record in Monaco on Friday evening will compete in the 200 and 400-metre sprints. (Wayde is seen above in a touching moment with fellow, proud South African, Princess Charlene of Monaco, on Friday. He told French TV reporters that although he’d met the former Olympic swimmer before, it was a “beautiful moment” and an honour to receive the gold medal from the Princess.)

Luvo Manyonga will turn out in the long jump, Caster Semenya, who also won Gold on Friday in Monaco, will line up in the women’s 800m contest and Sunette Viljoen is in the women’s javelin.

The national squad, which consists of 18 men and six women, will be led by ASA Track and Field chairman Pieter Lourens.

With a strong team leading the charge, the team will aim to improve on their impressive medal haul at the 2015 edition of the biennial showpiece in Beijing, China, where the nation bagged three medals (one gold and two bronze).

‘We believe this is one of the strongest teams ever selected for the IAAF World Championships, and we are confident they will return home with a bag full of medals,’ said ASA president, Aleck Skhosana.

‘We wish them all well with their final preparations and we trust they will arrive in London in their best form and ready to carry the South African flag with pride.’

Among the big names not included in the squad, are Olympians Henricho Bruintjies, Rynardt van Rensburg and LJ van Zyl, as well as  Commonwealth 400m hurdles champion Cornel Fredericks, while despite the resurgence of race wallking, there’s only one walker in Lebogang Shange.

Leading women overlooked, are more Olympians Justine Palframan, Alyssa Conley and Dominique Scott-Efurd.

The team:
Men: Akani Simbine, Thando Roto, Wayde van Niekerk, Clarence Munyai, Pieter Conradie, Stephan Mokoka, Antonio Alkana, Luvo Manyonga, Zarck Visser, Ruswahl Samaai, Orazio Cremona, Jaco Engelbrecht, Victor Hogan, Rocco van Rooyen, Lebogang Shange, Lusapho April, Desmond Mokgobu, Sibusiso Nzima.
Women: Wenda Nel, Carina Horn, Caster Semenya, Sunette Viljoen, Jenna Challenor, Mapaseka Makhanya

Source: SASCOC.co.za