South Africa select 30 for World Youth Championships

By editor | 27 June 2009 - 2:03am

Athletics South Africa (ASA) announced today that a team of 30 athletes will participate in the IAAF World Youth Championships in Bressanone, Italy, from 8 to 12 July. The team consists of 20 boys and 10 girls.

The final team was selected after the Southern Region Youth Championships that were held in Pretoria on 13 June 2009; in which South African athletes dominated the Championships and easily topped the medals table with 27 medals out of a possible 43 that were up for grabs.

Included in the team are exciting young prospects that will form part of ASA's development strategy for future major international Championships and the London 2012 Olympic Games. The experience that they will gain at the World Youth Championships will be a solid foundation for their future in the sport.

The boys' team boasts exciting sprinting talents in Richmond Collins, Gideon Trotter, Sean de Klerk and Mzwandile Qashani while in the field events athletes like Frans Schutte and Donovan Stebbing (shot put), Charl Grobler (discus), Dean Goosen (javelin) and Stefan Brits and Lionel Abrahams (long jump) can become the stars of the future.

In the girls' team Anri Steyn and Justine Palframan already rank amongst the top ten in 400m in the country and hold their own against the best senior athletes.

Annemie Smith is an outstanding talent in the hammer throw boasting the best distance in the country this season while Simone Meyer and Suriette Botha (discus) follow closely on the heels of Elizna Naude in the discus event this season.

Boys :

Richmond Collins, 100m; Medley Relay (AGN); Gideon Trotter, 100m; Medley Relay (AFS); Sean de Klerk, 200m; Medley Relay (AFS) Mzwandile Qashani, 200m; Medley Relay (BOL); Jacques de Swardt, 400m; Medley Relay (AGN); MC Kruger, 400m; Medley Relay (AVT); Michael van Aswegen, 800m (CGA); Werner Pretorius, 110mH (AGN); Layne Scheffers, 110mH (WPA) Lionel Abrahams, Long Jump (BOL); Stefan Brits, Long Jump (BOL); Frans Schutte, Shot Put and Discus (AMPU); Donovan Stebbing, Shot Put (AMPU); Charl Grobler, Discus (AFS); Dean Goosen, Javelin (AVT); Siyabonga Derison, 1500m (AFS); Tebogo Khanye, 1500m (KZNA); Olwethu Mhlaba, 2000m sc (CGA); Benjamin Molefe, 2000m sc (AFS); and Mfumaneko Fadane, 3000m (ATRA).

Girls:

Justine Palframan, 200m, 400m; Medley Relay (KZNA); Anri Steyn, 400m; Medley Relay (CGA); Rikenette Steenkamp100mH; Medley Relay (AGN); Melissa Harmse 400mH; Medley Relay (AGN); Zanri van der Merwe, Long Jump; Medley Relay (AGN); Suriette Botha, Discus (AGN); Simone Meyer, Discus (KZNA); Annemie Smith, Hammer (ASWD); Masabata Matoane, 800m; Medley Relay (AGN); Happiness Mkhize, 800m; (KZNA)

Team management:

Snowy Mathews (Head of Delegation); Molatelo Malehopo (Manager); Mohamed Ally (Sprints Coach); Simon Blangwe (Distances Coach); DP Badenhorst (Throws Coach); Margaret Selala (Jumps Coach); Godfrey Sepuru (Physiotherapist); Fikile Phasha (Physiotherapist); Dr. Theo Koen (Team Doctor); and Morgan Matholeni (Team Assistant).