SITHEMBISO MKHIZE
UMPETHA womhlaba ku-400m, uWayde van Niekerk, ubonge umqeqeshi wakhe omdala, uTannie Ans Botha, enqoba ku-200m, kwi-ASA Athletix Invitational Meet, ebingoLwesibili ntambama, eRuimsig Athletics Stadium, eRoodeport.
U-Van Niekerk ushaye intambo ngo-20.10, ehlula ingqwele ka-100m, u-Akani Simbine, egcine iphume isibili ngo-20.29.
Lo mgijimi, owaphula irekhodi lomhlaba ku-400m, ngesikhathi esingu-43.03, kuma-Olympic Games edlule, uthe: "Ngiyakujabulela ukuba ngaphansi kwethimba elisha labaqeqeshi. Nokho angisoze ngalukhohlwa uhambo lwami no-Ans, ngifunde lukhulu kuyena. Ngabe kangikho kuleli zinga ukube ubengekho eduze kwami. Ngizoqhubeka nokumjabulisa.“
Ekuqaleni konyaka uVan Niekerk uveze ukuthi usehlukene no-Ans, wajoyina umqeqeshi omusha, uLance Brauman, wase-USA.
U-Van Niekerk unqoba nje ubesehlale isikhathi eside engagijimi ezingeni eliphezulu kusukela alimala ngo-2017. Izinhlelo zokubuyela emiqhudelwaneni ziphazamisekile nyakenye ngemuva kokuqubuka kweCovid-19.
Uveze ukuthi selokhu abuya ekulimaleni ubeqala ukujima ngokuphelele inyanga nohhafu.
Mayelana nokuthi usekulungele ukumela elakuleli kuma-Olympics aseTokyo, eJapan, ngoJulayi, uthe: "Okwamanje ngizothatha umjaho ngamunye, kangifuni ukuxhamazela, wumqeqeshi wami ozongitshela uma sengifithi ngokwanele. Kuma-Olympics ngizogijima u-400m, nakuba kunjalo ngeke ikusasa ulazi, kuhle ukuhlala uzilungiselele.“
USimbine, ongumpetha ka-100m kumaCommonwealth Games, uthe kusukela ngonyaka odlule iyamjabulisa indlela agijima ngayo.
"Kuhlale kunokuqhudelana okuhle ukugijima eceleni kukaVan Niekerk. Engikubheke ngabomvu manje ama-ASA Championships azoba semasontweni amabili. Abantu abangelulekayo bahlakaniphile, ngethemba ukuthi ngizoqhubeka nokwenza kahle,“ kusho uSimbine
Imenenja kaVan Niekerk, uPeet Van Zyl, ithe izinhlelo zabo zisekutheni lo mgijimi ayibambe ku-400m kuma-Olympics.
"Simgijimisa u-200m ngoba senzela ijubane. Maduze sizohlangana nomqeqeshi, uBrauman, ukuthola uhlu lwemijaho azozilungiselela ngayo ama-Olympic," kusho uVan Zyl.