Luvo Manyonga to return to the heat of battle in Switzerland

01 July 2019 - 14:06
By David Isaacson
Luvo Manyonga of Eastern Province in the mens long jump during Day 3 of the Sizwe Medical Fund & 3SixtyLife Athletics SA Senior Track & Field and Combined Events Championships at the Germiston Athletics Stadium on April 27, 2019.
Image: Roger Sedres/Gallo Images Luvo Manyonga of Eastern Province in the mens long jump during Day 3 of the Sizwe Medical Fund & 3SixtyLife Athletics SA Senior Track & Field and Combined Events Championships at the Germiston Athletics Stadium on April 27, 2019.

Luvo Manyonga is set to return to the heat of battle at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting on Friday night‚ when he will resume hostilities with Cuban Juan Miguel Echevarria.

The reigning world champion injured his left ankle in his last outing at the Diamond League meet in Rabat last month‚ getting stretchered out the arena while leading the competition.

But Echevarria overtook him on his last two attempts to push the South African into second spot.

Manyonga‚ the Diamond League champion for the past two years and unbeaten in 2017‚ has yet to win a Diamond League meet this year.

The contest in Lausanne will be his third of 2019.

Manyonga’s only win abroad so far this year was in Hengelo.

Manyonga’s countryman‚ Ruswahl Samaai‚ is also in action on Friday night.