South Africa’s, Wayde van Niekerk and Clarence Munyai, probably made athletics history last night at the Golden Spike Meeting in Ostrava by becoming the first athletes of the same country to set new world bests in different categories but in the same race.
Van Niekerk “blitzed” to victory over the rarely-run 300m distance in a time of 30.81s that took down not only Michael Johnson’s world best of 30.85 which had stood since 2000, but Bolt’s 30.97 meeting record as well. He’s now the only sprinter to have produced sub-10, sub-20, sub-31 and sub-44 performances at 100m, 200m, 300m and 400m respectively.
Isaac Makwala of Botswana was second in 31.44 with Munyai third in 31.61. The TuksSport High School athlete’s time is the fastest in history by an under-20 athlete.
“I’m just pleased and grateful for this big achievement,” said Van Niekerk in an IAAF-interview, whose run came eight days after a 9.94 personal best in the 100m.
Munyai who struggled to find form after setting a new South African junior record in the 200 metres (20.10s) earlier this season proved last night that he has big match temperament.
Before the race he told his agent, Lee-Roy Newton that he wants to finish in the top three and set a new world best in the junior category. He did exactly that.
Newton ascribed his success to the fact that Munyai did not allow him to be intimidated by the moment or his more experienced rivals.
“He ran his own race focusing only on what he is able to control.”
Earlier this season the Tuks-athlete won a race over 300 metres in 32.87s in doing so he became the first South African junior athlete to dip under 33 seconds.
The previous world best time for a junior athlete over 300 metres was held by Mark Richardson who clocked 32.53s in 1991.
Munyai is the second TuksSport High School athlete to set a “world record” this season. At the Gauteng-North Championships, the 17-year-old Sokwakhana Zazini won the 400m-hurdles in a time of 48.84s. His time is 0.17s faster than the world youth record time set by William Wynne (USA) in 2007. The American clocked 49.01s.
Munyai’s next race is on Sunday when he will represent South Africa at the African under-20 Championships in Algeria.
The results of some of the other South Africans competing in Ostrava are: Jacob Rozani 7th in the 1000m - 2:20.25; Antonio Alkana 4th in the 110m-hurdles – 13.37s; Alsyssa Conley 2nd in the 200m – 23.03s; Rikenette Steenkamp 2nd in the 100m-hurdles – 12.99s.
Virtual Campus
Get Social With Us
Download the UP Mobile App