A showdown between some of the best women javelin throwers in Africa looks set to be one of the highlights of the Yellow Pages Series Meet in Potchefstroom on Friday.
Africa champion and record holder Justin Robbeson faces off with the Commonwealth Games Champion Sunette Viljoen, who as students at the University of the North West in Potchefstroom, will be competing on familiar territory.
Robbeson is making a return to competition after recovering from an injury that forced her to miss the World Championships in Osaka, Japan last August.
"Qualifying for the Beijing Olympics is certainly the prime goal at any competition. However, I want to make sure that I do not peak too early. At this stage it is critical to get my competition fitness right," says Robbeson.
Based in Klerksdorp, newcomer and World Youth Champion Tazmin Brits, seeks to make an impact when competing among senior athletes.
"My target is to be among the early qualifiers for the World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz Poland. This year I really expect to throw far better than ever before," says Brits.
The fans that will be attending the meeting will have their own event which is called the Yellow Pages spectators chicken run. Spectators will be randomly selected from the crowd. The best male and the best female spectator will each earn R3,000.
Last week hurdler Janice Josephs got her season off to a promising start at the Yellow Pages Series opener in Secunda Mpumalanga, and the All Africa Games champion also sent a strong signal on the infield when she leaped to a distance of 6.50m in the long jump.
"No heptathlon for me this year. I will concentrate on the long jump. Once I have qualified for the Olympics, I might do some few sprinting just in case we have a chance of putting together a strong relay team for Beijing," says Josephs.
Christine Ras proved she is in the form of her life, when she outpaced pre-race favourite Sune Labuschagne in the women’s 100m hurdles, clocking 13.5 to Labuschagne’s 13.8.
"This is the best shape I have ever been in at this time of the year. I now see I have a good chance of qualifying for the Beijing Olympics," says Ras.
Other notable performances came from Estie Wittstock who clocked 11.1 and 22.6 in the women’s 100m and 200m respectively, with other winners including Lebohang Phalula (4:19.7) in the women’s 1500m.
A new generation of South African throwers are staking their place on the senior national stage, heralded when Simone du Toit prevailed in the women’s shot put (16.02) and discuss (44.80).
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