Ramaala qualifies for the Olympics
Marathon runner Hendrick Ramaala, who turns 40 next week, made history by becoming the first South African to qualify for 5 Olympic Games
IN THE RUNNING: Hendrick Ramaala quit his administration job at ASA to get his athletics career back on track. File photoDistance runner Hendrick Ramaala became the first South African to qualify for five Olympic Games when he finished 19th in the Dubai Marathon on Friday .
Ramaala, who turns 40 next week, clocked two hours, 12 minutes, 12 seconds (2:12.12) to better the IAAF A standard for the London Games by nearly three minutes.
Running conservatively, with his sole intention to qualify for the global sporting showpiece, Ramaala went through the halfway mark in 1:05.21.
While he slowed a little in the second half, and finished more than seven minutes behind Ethiopian winner Ayele Abshero, he comfortably achieved his goal.
Ramaala made his Olympic debut at the Atlanta Games in 1996, at the age of 24, when he was eliminated in the heats of the men’s 10,000 metres.
Four years later, in Sydney, only six months after making his debut over the classic 42.2km distance, he finished 12th in the marathon event.
Ramaala failed to finish the marathon at the Athens Games in 2004, among 21 runners who dropped out in challenging conditions, and in Beijing four years ago he trailed home in 44th place.
The second fastest South African over the marathon — with a personal best of 2:06.55 set at the London Marathon in 2006 — Ramaala’s performance in Dubai was his fastest in nearly three years.
somaartakeit
Congrats and best of luck at the London Olympics, make this country proud!!!Report Abuse
MommaC
Good on you Hendrick :)Couldn't be happier for you. Its always great to see genuinely good people get ahead
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Into_Enje!
LivelifemolefeI turned 40 last November but have not achieved like him.
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Actually bloggers at you age have been suspended till further notice, Goat_Sp*erm is one of them.....
You guys bring us back to aparthei*d.
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MommaC
Into_Enje!Isn't it time your mommy gave you your milk and cookies so you can have your nap now?
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Into_Enje!
MommaCInto_Enje!
Isn't it time your mommy gave you your milk and cookies so you can have your nap now?
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May you please mind your own business Madam* and leave me alone toe!
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somaartakeit
@rasefatee in all honest a coach can do so much for the players the rest is up to them, the problem is not the coach but the players who have no discipline, I don't think they quite appreciate demands associates with being a professional athlete, that's why you read about them being drunk and stabbed or involved in some fight or something stupid like that, the other team with ill-disciplined players is the English team, they are losing against other nations they have some of the best coaches money can buy, how often must we change coaches before these boys deliver results of being highly paid? the coach should make them EARN their positions in the national squad or deselect them and give chance to young and aspiring athletes these guys must realise that theirs is a demanding and competitive one, and age is not on their side and when they are going to indulge on things which don't complement their health, then they can not be at their best, lets face it our footballers are drunks women bashers and generally are unprofessional, so how is this Pitso's fault?Report Abuse