Thugwane left out of SA squad for Athens

Athletics

The Olympic marathon champion, Josiah Thugwane, is a notable omission from the provisional South African squad for this summer's World Championships in Athens in August.

Announcing the squad in Johannesburg yesterday, the Athletics South Africa secretary general, Banele Sindani, said that the Olympic gold medallist had already said that he did not want to compete in order to allow "unknown" competitors to run and the national body would not pressure him into doing so.

The 1992 Olympic 10,000 metres silver medalist Elana Meyer, who was second behind Ethiopia's Olympic marathon champion, Fatuma Roba, in the Boston Marathon on Monday, is still deliberating over whether she will compete in the 5,000 or 10,000 metre events or the marathon in Athens. She has been provisionally included for the latter two races.

Colleen de Reuck, who finished one place behind Meyer in Boston, told the ASA earlier this month that she wanted to concentrate on the 10,000 metres.

Sindani said that the final South African line-up would be announced as close as possible to the International Amateur Athletic Federation deadline, which is 22 July. Other athletes who performed well before then could still be included in the squad.

PROVISIONAL SOUTH AFRICAN SQUAD (World Championship, Athens, August): Men: A Malherbe (400m), H Sepeng (800m), M Van Heerden (800m), L Herbert (400m hurdles), R Botha (pole vault), O Brits (pole vault), B Lambrecht (shot put), M Corbett (javelin). Women: A De Jongh (200 and 400m), G Griffiths (1,500 and 5,000m), C De Reuck (10,000m), E Meyer (10,000m). Marathon squads: Men: L Peu, E Thlobo, G Thys, X Yawa, M Ndhiveni, J Maremane, Ar Siphu, A Motlagale, N Nkodima, A Mokibe. Women: E Meyer, H Joubert, G De Oliviera, R Toto.