Charlene Engelbrecht of WHS Athletics Club led the way by winning the double in the women’s shot put and discus events at the second Bank Windhoek Athletics Grand Prix in Windhoek on Saturday.
In both events, Engelbrecht was close to her personal best distances and indicated that she could well break the national records later this year.
She won the shot put gold medal with a distance of 14,09m which was well within reach of her personal best of 14,38m that she set in Pretoria last year. Both these distances are over her national record of 13,82m that she set three years ago, but according to an Athletics Namibia directive, national records can now only be established at national championships, with the result that these distances were not taken into account.
Engelbrecht won the women’s discus with a distance of 44,60m which was close to her personal best of 48,50m that she established in Zambia in 2012. This mark is also over Wilna Bredenhann’s long standing national record of 46,42m, and on current form, Engelbrecht looks well set to break it at the Namibian National Athletics Championships on April 4 and 5.
Engelbrecht, who studies at Pretoria University, said that she was positive that she can still improve this year.
“I was not too happy with my discus, and I’ll just go back to Pretoria and work on my technique. My aim is to peak at the national championships in April so I can still improve,” she said.
Although none of the other results came close to national records, there were still some exciting races that had the spectators on the edge of their seats.
Jesse Urikhob of Golden Cheetah won a dramatic men’s 100m after two false starts that saw Basilius Karupu and Gilbert Hainuca disqualified from the race.
Urikhob went on to win the final in 10,86 seconds, just pipping Philippus Paulus and Tjimbatu Kauajo, who both finished in 10,99, to the line.
It was a fine return by Urikhob who was plagued by injuries last year.
“The race was very tough for me because Philippus Paulus came from nowhere and gave me a run for my money. But I’ve been training hard lately so I think I’ll be back to my best soon again,” he said.
The men’s 200m and 400m also saw exciting finishes with Tjimbatu Kauajo winning the 200m in 21,60, ahead of Even Tjiviju (21,77) and Ernst Narib (21,80); while Narib won the 400m in 47,81, just beating Daniel Nghipandulwa (47,85) to the line.
Narib’s time was a second outside his personal best of 46,80 that he set last year, and well off Daniel Haitembu’s long standing national record of 46,14, but Narib was confident that he would break both marks this year.
“This year I’m aiming to reach the Commonwealth Games qualifying time of 45,90 and I believe I can make it. I just have to work a bit on my last 100m, and I need to strengthen my endurance, but I’m confident in my own abilities and if I just focus on my training I can make it,” he said.
Nghipandulwa dominated the men’s 800m, winning in 1:49,31, but he was upset in the men’s 1 500m, coming second in 3:58,27, behind Johannes Skrywer, who won in 3:53,02.
Skrywer said he was confident of winning the 1 500m.
“My training went well and I expected to win this race. I’m now getting closer to my PB (personal best) of 3:46 and if I get good competition I can even go under 3:40,” he said.
In the men’s field events, Visamuje Ujaha of Swakop Striders beat Solomon Tuaire of Golden Cheetah after both cleared 1,98m, while Adiel van Wyk of won the long jump in 6,94m.
In the women’s sprints the young Lena Noreses of Golden Cheetah won the 100m in 12,97, followed by Elrike Grobbelaar (13,20) and Silba Tjingaete (13,26), while Desiree Kandovazu of Namib Lion won the 200m in 25,93, followed by Noreses (26,54) and Tjingaete (26,76).
Noreses, who also plays for the national women’s soccer team the Brave Gladiators, said she was aiming to do well at the national championships.
“The 100m is my strong point, so I’m quite happy with my 200m result and with more training I think I can also at the nationals, but now that I’m juggling between football and athletics I’ll have to see how it goes,” she said.
Lavinia Haitope of Nampol won two gold medals in the women’s middle distance events. She won the 800m comfortably in 2:12,47, but was pushed all the way before winning the 1 500m in 4:45,78, followed by Claudia Moses (4:45,96) and Leena Ekandjo (4:48,44).
Eileen Britz of Windhoek Gymnasium Athletics Club won two gold medals in the women’s 100m hurdles in (16,23) and the 400m hurdles (1:09,57), while Kristien Kruger of WHS also won two gold medals in the high jump (1,63m) and the long jump (5,23m).
