FILE PICTURE: Simon Magakwe wins the mens 100m final during day 2 of the 2019 WPA Senior and Combined Events Championships at Green Point Athletics Track on March 23, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa.
While some of the fields were diluted by the withdrawals of elite contenders, and the women’s 100m race was virtually derailed by a technical problem, the top-flight domestic track and field season opened with some solid performances at the first leg of the ASA Grand Prix series in Bloemfontein on Saturday night.
Magakwe charged over the line in 10.06 seconds in the short sprint, equalling his season’s best, and SA student champion Emile Erasmus took second place in 10.15. “I’m always slow at the start and I have to catch up, which is not good, but I think it was also the nerves after the false startMeanwhile, the women’s 100m race had to be run three times due to issues with the electronic timing system, which had become a perennial problem at Mangaung Athletics Stadium in recent years. With national record holder Carina Horn scratched from the entry lists, Tebogo Mamatu held it together despite the lengthy delays and took the win in 11.