South Africa dominates Junior Athletics Champs

South Africa dominated the CAA Southern Africa Junior Athletics Championships in Windhoek on Saturday, winning a total of 36 medals, consisting of 20 gold, 11 silver and 5 bronze medals.

Namibia finished second in the medal standings with 6 gold, 10 silver and 13 bronze medals, while Botswana came third with 3 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze medals.

Botswana just pipped Zimbabwe, who finished fourth with 3 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze medals.

Athletes from 11 Southern African countries delivered some top class performances at the championships which also served as a qualifying event for the World Junior Championships to be held in Barcelona, Spain in July.

A total of 21 athletes qualified for the World Junior Championships, with 17 coming from South Africa, two from Zimbabwe and one each from Zambia and Botswana. Not one Namibian athlete qualified for the World Junior Championships.

In the women’s events, South Africa swept the medals in the 100m sprint, with Zanri van der Merwe winning gold in 11,71, Nabeela Parker coming second in 11,83 and Philippa van der Merwe third in 11,91. All three qualified for Barcelona, as well as Abygirl Sepiso of Zambia who ran a time of 11,84 in the heats.

Chante van Tonder of South Africa qualified after winning the 200m in 24,10, while South Africa’s Monique Stander (2:05,34) and Thato Makhafola (2:07,84) qualified after coming first and second in the 800m.

Kayla Gilbert of South Africa qualified after winning the 100m hurdles in 14,03, while another two South Africans, Ane Fourie and Izelle Neuhoff qualified in the 400m hurdles with respective times of 58,65 and 59,09.

In the women’s long jump all three medallists made the World Championships qualifying distance of 6,10m but unfortunately the wind was too strong and they did not qualify.

In the men’s 100m the top three medallists qualified with Siphelo Ngqabaza of South Africa winning gold in 10,35, Fana Mofokeng of South Africa silver in 10,48 and Dumisani Bhebhe of Zimbabwe bronze in 10,59.

Ngqabaza also qualified in the 200m after winning gold in 20,87, while Tinashe Mutanga of Zimbabwe (21,20), Dumisani Bhebhe of Zimbabwe (21,24) and Ruben Rens of South Africa (21,33) also qualified.

In the 400m the gold medallist Pieter Conradie of South Africa qualified with a time of 46,80 while the silver medallist Bafetoleng Mogami of Botswana also qualified after winning his heat in 45,46.

Taariq Solomons of South Africa qualified after winning gold in the 400m hurdles in 52,35.

In the discus the gold medallist Gerhard de Beer of South Africa qualified with a distance of 61,64m, while his compatriot Jan Louw Kotze also qualified after winning silver with 60,65m.

Morne Moolman also qualified in the javelin event after winning gold with a distance of 69,43m.

For Namibia, Charlene Engelbrecht won two gold medals in the shotput and the discus events with respective distances of 13,23m and 45,87m.

Lezaan Groenewald won gold in the women’s javelin with a distance of 33,32m while Shiivomwene Shilongo won gold in the women’s 3000m steeplechase in 11:17,84.

Michael Kuxumba won a gold medal in the men’s 3000m steeplechase with a time of 10:16,71 while A van Wyk won gold in the men’s long jump with 7,14m.

The medal table and complete results are attached.