The South African Youth and Junior Championships this weekend in Tshwane promise to deliver some riveting battles between the next generations of athletics stars.
For the youth athletes, it is all about chasing those all-important IAAF A-qualifiers to book their ticket to Ostrava in June, for the World Youth Championships.
Javelin promises repeat of SA Schools Final
The youth girls javelin event will see a repeat of the final held in Port Elizabeth at the SA Schools Championships.
Leanka Steyn of the Free State won that round with a throw of 52.45m, and Central North West’s Tazmin Brits will be looking to reverse her runners-up spot, achieved when she threw 50.74m.
Both girls should have no problem reaching the required standard to make the SA team to the World Champs.
Defending Champion under Pressure
In the girls 100m and 200m, defending Champion Bevan Smith finds her supremacy challenged by Alyssa Conley. Both run in the colours of Central Gauteng, and should provide the championships with an awesome display of sprinting.
Conley holds the upper hand in the 100m, having defeated Smith at the SA Schools Championships in Port Elizabeth on the 31 March. Smith, on the other hand, holds the fastest time in the 200m this year (24.05sec to 24.24sec).
Records in the making in Shot Put?
Another potential record could come in the ladies shot put with Simone du Toit (Central North West) chasing her own distance of 16.95m, which she set up in Beijing last year at the World Junior Championships, when she finished in fourth position overall.
Du Toit has already gone 16.87m this year, in winning the SA senior title in Durban on 16 March.
Mkenku favourite for Sprint Double
Nombulelo “Constance” Mkenku (Free State) should have no problems repeating the 100m and 200m victories she palmed in last year.
The 18-year old gave “veteran” Geraldine Pillay quite a scare at the South Africa Senior Championships in Durban on 17 March; racing her to a close second and showing her class in the 100m with a time of 11.69sec.
Her 24.07sec time for the 200m (also run in Durban) is almost a half a second faster than that of Karin Dreyer, who holds the second fastest time in the country this year.
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