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Team SA looks good for medals

Khotso Mokoena tips SA to excel.
Khotso Mokoena tips SA to excel.

Khotso Mokoena has been there, done that and got the medals.

Although he missed the cut this time around, the long jumper is optimistic that Team SA will tally its best medal haul from the IAAF World Championships that take off in London tonight.

"We should be able to get at least six medals. Caster [Semenya], Wayde [van Niekerk], Ruswahl [Samaai], Akani [Simbine], Luvo [Manyonga] ... and possibly Zarck Visser will win medals," said the 2009 world champs silver medallist.

Mokoena, 32, added that it would be disappointing if it does not happen. "When I missed my opportunities of getting medals I was making sure that, on return, I'm much better and stronger. I know how they feel, especially Ruswahl, Akani and Zarck."

Mokoena - together with Samaai and Visser - flopped at the Beijing Championships two years ago, all three failing to advance beyond the first round where Van Niekerk (400m gold), Anaso Jobodwana (200m bronze) and Sunette Viljoen (javelin bronze) were the team's only medallists. Mokoena is expecting Manyonga to win long jump gold.

"He has a take-off that nobody has in the world right now. If he can use that he will easily beat the 8.60m [mark]," said the 2014 Diamond League champion, who lost his long-standing 8.50m SA and African record to Manyonga early this year.

SA's track and field best medal count at the world champs was at the 2009 Berlin and Daegu, South Korea, showpiece in 2011. Semenya and the late Mbulaeni Mulaudzi won gold, both in the 800m, while Mokoena added a long jump silver in Berlin. In Daegu, Semenya and the men's 4x400m relay team (both silver), as well as Viljoen (javelin bronze) and LJ van Zyl (400m hurdles bronze), handed Team SA four medals six years ago.

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