Luvo Manyonga has led the team of eight runners who will represent South Africa at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland.
Athletics South Africa (ASA) has announced the team of eight runners that will compete in different distances including 60m, 300m, long jump and shot put, in this competition that will start on Friday and conclude on Sunday, in Kujawy Pomorze, Poland.
This team includes seven male runners and one female, Mine de Klerk, who will compete in the shot put.
Manyonga (35) is returning from the world championships after serving a seven-year suspended sentence for having illegal stimulants in the body and violating the Covid-19 regulations.
This long jump champion competed at the 2017 World Championship in London, and at the Commonwealth Games in Australia in 2018, he returned with silver at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, and another silver at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in 2018 in England.
It is joined by other young athletes including Karabo Letebele (19) and Temosi Masikane (19) who will compete in the 60m and long jump respectively.
Letebele set a time of 6.53 seconds in Texas, USA, in February, slightly beating the record of 6.48 which is still held by Morne Nagel of South Africa which he recorded in 2002.
In the 3000m distance, Luan Munnik is being watched as he clocked 7:38:35 in February in Lievin, France.
In the 60m Franco le Roux and Mondray Barnard are watching. In the men’s shot put, Aiden Smith, who is the champion of the World University Games, is being watched.
De Klerk in the women’s shot put, recently did well with 18.48m in Indiana, in February.
The team that will represent South Africa at the World Athletics Indoor Championships:
Karabo Letebele (men) 60m, Luan Munnik (men) 3000m, Franco Le Roux (men) 60mH, Mondray Barnard (men) 60mH, Luvo Manyonga (men) Long Jump, Temoso Masikane (men) Long Jump, Aiden Smith (men) Shot Put, Mine De Klerk (women) Shot Put.