Tjipekapora Herunga was Namibia’s best performer at the second leg of the South African Yellow Pages Athletics Series in Durban on Friday night, winning a silver medal in the women’s 400m race.
The race was won by Este Wittstock of Tuks Athletics Club in 53,82 seconds, followed by Herunga in 55,41 and Alet van Wyk of Tuks in 55,43.
Herunga’s time was slower than the 54,49 seconds she set when she won the first leg of the series in Port Elizabeth on February 19, but according to team manager Agnes Samaria, she struggled to adjust to the conditions.
“There was a strong wind which really made racing hard. Each competition is different and the athletes are still adjusting to the conditions,” she told Namibia Sport.
Hitjiverua Kaanjuka competed in both sprints, coming fourth in the men’s 100m in 10,92 seconds and sixth in the 200m in 22,15 seconds.
The 100m was won by Simon Magakwe of Pukke Athletics Club in 10,65 seconds, while Tshegofatso Meshoe of RBAC won the 200m in 21,68 seconds.
Kaanjuka’s 100m time was also slower than the 10,86 he set in Port Elizabeth where he came fifth.
Namibia’s 21-year-old middle distance runner Daniel Nghipandulwa gave a good account of himself against a top-class field in the men’s 1 500m race. Running against the likes of the current 800m world champion, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, Nghipandulwa kept up with the leading pack until the final lap when Mulaudzi pulled away.
Mulaudzi went on to win the race in 3:43,88, followed by Windy Jonas of Kovsies in 3:44,22 and Elroy Gelant of Green Athletics Club in 3:44,25. Nghipandulwa finished in seventh position in a new personal best time of 3:52,50 which was nearly eight seconds faster than his previous best time of 3:58,30.
The third leg in the Yellow Pages series takes place in Potchefstroom on Friday, March 4.
The three Namibian athletes’ trip has been made possible through financial assistance from the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture.