×

We've got news for you.

Register on SowetanLIVE at no cost to receive newsletters, read exclusive articles & more.
Register now

SA 5km record for Ryan while African sprinters star on Gaborone stage

Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya winning the 100m in Germiston recently.
Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya winning the 100m in Germiston recently.
Image: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images

As high-flying Ryan Mphahlele broke the South African 5km road running record as he finished fifth in 13 min 24 sec at the Road to Records meet in Germany on Saturday, African sprinters dominated the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in Gaborone.

Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala won the 100m shoot-out on Saturday, leaving his rivals in his dust as he won in 9.78 sec.

It didn’t count officially as a world lead because officials detected an illegal 2.3mps tail wind, though a well-placed source in the stadium said he couldn’t feel a breath of wind.

Either way Omanyala’s effort will earn attention from the world’s top sprinters.

Young home star Letsile Tebogo, the two-time world under-20 champion, was second in 9.91 and then won the men’s 200m in a 19.87 world lead, beating Canadian Aaron Brown into second place.

Commonwealth Games and African champion Muzala Samukonga of Zambia dipped under 44 seconds to win the men’s 400m in a 43.91 world lead, well ahead of Grenada’s former Olympic and world champion Kirani James in 44.76. Leungo Scotch of Botswana was third in 44.92 and Lythe Pillay, second at the South African championships, was fourth in 45.07.

American Trevor Bassit won the men’s 400m hurdles in a season’s best 48.42 sec, lifting South African champion Soks Zazini to a 48.57 personal best for second spot.

Kenya’s Mary Moraa, the Commonwealth Games 800m champion, won the women’s 400m in 50.43 ahead of South African champion Miranda Coetzee in 51.13. Zeney van der Walt was fourth in 51.36 and Marlie Viljoen fifth in 52.20.

Twanisha Terry of the US won the women’s 100m in 11.05, just ahead of Egyptian Bassant Hemida in 11.09, without any illegal wind issues.

Kyle Blignaut had to settle for fourth place in the men’s shot put with a heave of 19.80m, behind the Italian duo of Leonardo Fabbri (21.32) and transplanted South African Zane Weir (21.09). Briton Scott Lincoln was third with 20.32.

 

Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.