LOCAL professional Ironman hero and the first South African home in this year‘s Spec-Savers Ironman SA, James Cunnama, 26, claimed second place in Ironman Austria on Sunday in a sterling time of 8:14.18. He finished behind this year‘s Ironman SA winner, Marino Vanhoenacker, of Belgium, and ahead of last year‘s Ironman SA winner, Stephen Bayliss, of Britain.

Cunnama, being an unknown in Europe, decided to base himself overseas with coach Brett Sutton and the rest of his team (Team TBB) for three months. During his time in Switzerland, Cunnama has made South Africa extremely proud in claiming a fourth in Challenge France (Half-Ironman) and a phenomenal second in Challenge Germany (also a Half-Ironman).

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The Golden League meeting in Oslo last Friday night delivered some average results due to the poor weather with one of the few highlights of the meeting being Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva‘s performance of 4,71 metres to claim her second Golden League win in as many meetings.

The other highlight of the meeting was former world record holder Asafa Powell‘s 100m win of 10.07secs in the absence of Olympic champion Usain Bolt.

Sanya Richards recorded 49.23 in the 400m, while Croatian world champion Blanka Vlasic won the high jump with a two-metre leap.

In Atlanta, Sammy Kitwara, of Kenya, won the 40th Peachtree 10km road race in 27mins 21secs. Ridouane Harroufi, of Morocco, was second and Ethiopia‘s Gashu Ibrahim Jeilan was third.

Lineth Chepkurui, of Kenya, won the women‘s race.

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OFENTSE Mogawane, one of the various South African athletes who are trying their utmost to achieve the qualifying times for the World Championships in Berlin, moved another step closer at the 13th International athletics meeting in Slovenia last Thursday when he won the 400m in 45.77, his fastest time of the year.

The Pretoria runner achieved an impressive victory, beating Australian Clay Watkins (46.43) by a few metres. Of the other South Africans at the meeting, Hannes Dreyer (fifth) and Morne Nagel (sixth) featured in the 100m, while African champion Isabel le Roux (fifth) clocked 23.99 in the 200m.

Ruan de Vries was fifth in 14.08 in the high hurdles.

Dina Phalula was the best of three South African girls in the 800m, finishing fifth in 2:07.11 with twin sister Dinahrose eighth in 2:08.29.

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ATHLETICS Gauteng secured a double in the Nedbank SA 21,1km championships on Saturday with a pair of personal bests from Stephen Mokoka and Annerine van Schalkwyk.

The incentive offered by Athletics SA certainly had the desired effect as Mokoka‘s winning time of 61mins 26secs was just inside the incentive time set and secured him extra pocket money, while Van Schalkwyk knocked almost five minutes off her personal best to claim the women‘s title.

Local grandmaster Tamsanqa Jusayi notched up his umpteenth national title, while Dorothy Hart was the first senior grandmaster (age 70+) lady to cross the line.

The EP veteran male and female teams both claimed silver medals in the team competition.

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THE 11th Clover 10km race, incorporating the provincial championships, will take place on July 25, starting at 7am from Kings Beach. The winner‘s purse in the senior male and female categories has once again been set at R10000, making it the richest 10km race in the Eastern Cape.

The 5km race is scheduled for 7.05am.

The first 300 entries will each receive a coffee mug from the organisers, PE Club, while a R1000 cash draw will take place at race registration on Friday at 6.30pm.

All finishers in both the events will also receive a litre of Clover milk.

As in previous years, the school with the most entries will receive a cash incentive. There will also be two R2000 vouchers as well as 10 R500 vouchers on offer in the lucky draws, courtesy Brian Bands Sport.

Entries are available from all leading sporting outlets. More information is available from Shane (079-4900669) or Anna (041-5852236).

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A MEMORIAL service will be held tomorrow at 7pm for Ronald Phillips, who was a member of the Willard Batteries Athletic Club for the past 13 years. The service will take place at the Weis Memorial Church in Schauderville.