Bruintjies pulls out of 100m at AAC
Henricho Bruintjies has withdrawn from the 100m heats in the African Championships which started in Durban on Tuesday.Bruintjies is replaced by Thando Roto. In May the South African champion, Bruintjies (Tuks), ran 9.89 seconds in Gavardo but he was helped by a tailwind of (+2.6m/s) rendering his time unofficial.
Bruintjies’ official best time so far this season is 10.11.
Meanwhile, sprinter Carina Horn (Tuks/HPC) has been hoping to run that near perfect 100m race for a while now and, if she wants to have a realistic chance to medal at the African Championships in Durban, she might just be forced to run it during the next few days.
If the start lists are correct, Murielle Ahouré (Ivory Coast) will be competing. At a meeting in Monteverde, Florida, two weeks ago, Ahouré raced in a world leading time of 10.78 seconds. This is also a new African record. On the IAAF all-time lists her time is listed as the one of 12th fastest times ever.
Ahouré is not the only ‘speedy lady’ who will be competing. Again according to the start lists, Marie-Josee Ta Lou (Ivory Coast), who ran 11.05 in Doha, will also run and so will Blessing Okugbare (Nigeria), the 2014 African Champion. Okugbare’s best time so far this season is 11.11.
During the past three weeks Horn has on three occasions managed to run times of 11.18. Last year she equalled Evette de Klerk’s long- standing South African record of 25 years when she ran 11.06 in Madrid.
Horn realises that the biggest mistake she can make will be to become obsessed with times.
“At least I am getting closer to the goals I set for myself. It is just a matter of staying patient. I know I am capable of running the perfect race, I just don’t know when it will happen. I guess it is just a matter of making sure that I keep on doing the small things right, then I will eventually run the times I know I am capable of.”
Alyssa Conley, the South African 100m champion who has a best time of 11.23, could well be the athlete who may surprise.
In the men’s 100 metres matters may be slightly easier for the South Africans. If the season’s results are anything to go by Akani Simbine (Tuks/HPC) should be able to win a medal. He is the only athlete competing in Tuesday’s heats who has officially run a time faster than ten seconds so far this season. He did so at Pilditch when he set a new South African record in the time of 9.96.
However, Simbine made it clear that when he lines up for the final, the last thing on his mind will be the time he is going to run.
According to the IAAF list, Hua Wilfred Koffi (Ivory Coast) will be the second fastest athlete competing in the 100 metres heats. Earlier this season he ran 10.01. Ben Youssef Meite (Ivory Coast) ran 10.05.
On Wednesday, the heats and semi-finals of the 100 metres will be contested.
The shotput and 10 000 metres for men and the hammer throw for women are the only finals that will be contested on Wednesday.