GLADWIN Mzazi outsprinted Elroy Gelant in the final straight on Tuesday night to clock the sixth-best 5000m time in South African athletics history.
The race of the night at the Yellow Pages meeting at Stellenbosch University, Western Cape, was the tussle between Mzazi and Gelant, which was settled over the final 50m.
Mzazi, who clocked a personal best of 13min:24.50sec, said he might have gone even faster had training partner Stephen Mokoka not withdrawn because of injury.
Mokoka had been expected to set an even faster pace.
"It would have been better if Stephen had been here. He takes out the first 2km and I take the next 3km. My body didn't respond in the first 2km," said Mzazi.
He and Mokoka will compete again at the national championships in Port Elizabeth next month, though they have yet to decide whether they'll compete in the 5000m or the 10000m.
SA's all-time 5000m list is headed by Shadrack Hoff (13:14.16), followed by Sydney Maree, Alistair Cragg, Juan van Deventer and Hendrick Ramaala.
Gelant, who is now seventh on that list, missed improving on his 13:25.09 personal best by less than a second.
"I did prepare for this to get a qualifying time," admitted the versatile middle-distance star who competed in the African cross country championships on Sunday.
"Maybe Sunday hurt me a little. But it was a nice race - congratulations to Gladwin."
Rorisang Rammonye fired the biggest thunderbolt from the blue as she swept to victory in the women's 400m in an impressive 51.98sec - not far off the Olympic qualifying time of 51.50.
"I was running for a personal best," said the elated Rammonye, the training partner of SA champion Tsholofelo Thipe.
Simon Magakwe was bitterly disappointed after missing out on qualifying in the 100m, which he won comfortably in 10.34 - in spite of suffering cramps in both his calf muscles during warm-up.
That was way off the required 10.18, as well as his 10.14 personal best.
"I'm disappointed. I really needed to run fast here," Magakwe said.
Mzazi kicks on
GLADWIN Mzazi outsprinted Elroy Gelant in the final straight on Tuesday night to clock the sixth-best 5000m time in South African athletics history.
The race of the night at the Yellow Pages meeting at Stellenbosch University, Western Cape, was the tussle between Mzazi and Gelant, which was settled over the final 50m.
Mzazi, who clocked a personal best of 13min:24.50sec, said he might have gone even faster had training partner Stephen Mokoka not withdrawn because of injury.
Mokoka had been expected to set an even faster pace.
"It would have been better if Stephen had been here. He takes out the first 2km and I take the next 3km. My body didn't respond in the first 2km," said Mzazi.
He and Mokoka will compete again at the national championships in Port Elizabeth next month, though they have yet to decide whether they'll compete in the 5000m or the 10000m.
SA's all-time 5000m list is headed by Shadrack Hoff (13:14.16), followed by Sydney Maree, Alistair Cragg, Juan van Deventer and Hendrick Ramaala.
Gelant, who is now seventh on that list, missed improving on his 13:25.09 personal best by less than a second.
"I did prepare for this to get a qualifying time," admitted the versatile middle-distance star who competed in the African cross country championships on Sunday.
"Maybe Sunday hurt me a little. But it was a nice race - congratulations to Gladwin."
Rorisang Rammonye fired the biggest thunderbolt from the blue as she swept to victory in the women's 400m in an impressive 51.98sec - not far off the Olympic qualifying time of 51.50.
"I was running for a personal best," said the elated Rammonye, the training partner of SA champion Tsholofelo Thipe.
Simon Magakwe was bitterly disappointed after missing out on qualifying in the 100m, which he won comfortably in 10.34 - in spite of suffering cramps in both his calf muscles during warm-up.
That was way off the required 10.18, as well as his 10.14 personal best.
"I'm disappointed. I really needed to run fast here," Magakwe said.