SA stars head for London

Caster Semenya and Justine Palframan will compete in three events each for South Africa at the inaugural athletics World Cup in London next month.

Athletics SA (ASA) named a starstudded team for the July 13-15 showpiece in the Olympic stadium‚ with new US-based track star Derick Mokaleng doing the men’s 400m in place of injured Wayde van Niekerk.

Veteran Khotso Mokoena makes a return to the national team after missing the world championships at the same venue last year.

Semenya is down for the women’s 800m and 1 500m‚ and Palframan the 200m and 400m‚ with both also in the 4x400m relay squad.

The only other team member doing two individual events is Ischke Senekal‚ chosen for the women’s shot put and discus.

Several athletes‚ however‚ are down for individual and relay races – Akani Simbine (100m and 4x100m)‚ Clarence Munyai (200m and 4x100m)‚ Mokaleng (400m and 4x400m)‚ Lindsey Hanekom (400m hurdles and 4x400m)‚ Carina Horn (women’s 100m and 4x100m) and Wenda Nel (women’s 400m hurdles and 4x400m).

ASA have chosen some relay-specific runners‚ but the five-man 4x100m squad is missing two of the men who helped SA run to the 38.24sec national record and a Commonwealth Games silver in Gold Coast in April.

Neither Anaso Jobodwana nor Emile Erasmus are London-bound‚ with Simon Magakwe and Roscoe Engel teaming up with Henricho Bruintjies‚ Simbine and Munyai‚ who missed the Gold Coast relay because of injury.

The team is:

Men: Akani Simbine (100m)‚ Clarence Munyai (200m)‚ Derick Mokaleng (400m)‚ Rynardt van Rensburg (800m)‚ Jerry Motsau (800m)‚ Antonio Alkana (110m hurdles)‚ Lindsey Hanekom (400m hurdles)‚ Chris Moleya (high jump)‚ Neil Gillomee (pole vault)‚ Luvo Manyonga (long jump)‚ Kgotso Mokoena (triple jump)‚ Orazio Cremona (shot put)‚ Victor Hogan (discus)‚ Tshepang Makhethe (hammer throw)‚ Phil-Mar van Rensburg (javelin); 4x100m relay: Simbine‚ Munyai‚ Roscoe Engel‚ Simon Magakwe‚ Henricho Bruintjies; 4x400m relay: Mokeleng‚ Hanekom‚ Thapelo Phora‚ Pieter Conradie‚ Zakhitine Nene.

Women: Carina Horn (100m)‚ Justine Palframan (200m and 400m)‚ Caster Semenya (800m and 1 500m)‚ Rikenette Steenkamp (100m hurdles)‚ Wenda Nel (400m hurdles)‚ Julia du Plessis (high jump)‚ Christy Nel (pole vault)‚ Lynique Beneke (long jump)‚ Patience Ntshingila (triple jump)‚ Ischke Senekal (shot put and discus throw)‚ Margo Chene Pretorius (hammer throw)‚ Sunette Viljoen (javelin); 4x100m relay: Horn‚ Tebogo Mamatu‚ Lente Pieterse‚ Cassidy Williamson‚ Tamsin Thomas; 4x400m relay: Palframan‚ Semenya‚ Nel‚ Ariane Nel‚ Rorisang Ramonye.

– TimesLIVE