Rio de Janeiro - Athletics South Africa’s (ASA) selection bungles have come back to haunt them, with the athletes now carrying the burden of blame after unfruitful men’s 200m heats at the Rio Olympic Games.
The omission of Akani Simbine from the 200m was particularly glaring after he finished in a creditable fifth place in the men’s 100m final on Sunday.
World bronze medallist Anaso Jobodwana failed to advance to the next round of the men’s 200m, finishing fourth in his race with a time of 20.56 seconds. Teenagers Gift Leotlela and Clarence Munyai also missed out on the semi-final clocking 20.59s and 20.66s respectively.
Jobodwana was one of the surprise packages at the London 2012 Games where he finished eighth in the final in a race won by Jamaican world-record holder Usain Bolt.
On the eve of that final, Jobodwana had a calm demeanour about him despite the daunting task that lay ahead.
“It's been horrible; in training I felt good but race rhythm is a totally different monster, and I could not have known that until I have raced,” Jobodwana said of this year's Games.
“Maybe I was too optimistic about this, and should have sat down and given it to somebody who had a chance to medal, like Akani.
“I’m going to kick myself for this one because this opportunity comes along only every four years, although I was optimistic I could make the final again.”
Simbine went into the Games as the form sprinter over the 100m and the 200m yet the selectors did not have the foresight to include him in the team.
Although Jobodwana had not competed in a competitive race since the beginning of September 2015, he was still the fastest in the qualifiers for the half-lap sprint.
Jobodwana’s South African record of 19.87sec in the final at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing was by far the best time of the athletes who posted qualifying times, including Wayde van Niekerk who did not want to be selected.
It was always going to be a gamble to have Jobodwana ready for the Games but one that could easily have come off.
Osteitis pubis, inflammation of the pubic bone of the pelvis, sidelined Jobodwana for months as he underwent intense rehabilitation.
Simbine was the second fastest behind Jobodwana with the 20.29s he clocked in March in Pretoria but instead the selectors included Leotlela based on his personal best qualifying time of 20.47s in Lusaka.
Simbine appealed his exclusion from the 200m to no avail as the selectors also argued Simbine did not prove his fitness by competing in the half-lap sprint at the South African and African Championships. After the team was announced Simbine posted a new personal best time of 20.16s in Hungary last month.
Jobodwana said although he was the fastest qualifiers, Leotlela and Munyai ran throughout the season earning their places fair and square while he had not run a race this year.
He said he hoped to sit down and apologise to Simbine as he felt responsible for his exclusion from the 200m event.
“Akani was in a better position than maybe all three of us, and I believe he would have made a final at least,” Jobodwana said.
“I’ve got to take responsibility for everything, I was feeling good, my rehabilitation was going well, my strength levels were up.
“The times and the way I was feeling at training I was feeling good, especially with the Olympics you want to go because you know it may not come around again as it's only every four years.”
The Star