Bester: Harmony will win
2007-06-15 17:57
Durban - Harmony Gold athletic club manager Nick Bester believes his club will be holding both the men's and women's trophy after the running of the 82nd Comrades Marathon on Sunday.
"I am under pressure just like Jake White after our club won their first race in 2005 with Sipho Ngomane, but this year I'm sure we're going to win both races", he said.
The Nurgalieva twins, Elena and Olesya have been affectionately dubbed the "Telly Tubbies" by the South African media and the up-run record holder Elena poured cold water on any thought of going all out for Frith van der Merwe's 1989 5:54:43 record.
"When we race we do not think of things like that, if it comes it comes. To start with a specific time in mind would be looking for trouble", she explained.
The state of an athlete before the race is a wonderful indicator of current form, and if this can be used as a yard stick, last year's men's runner up, Brian Zondi must line up as race favourite.
Smiling from ear to ear and looking relaxed, Zondi explained his confidence.
"What made me perform last year as a novice was my marathon training programme. When I looked at my programme and compared it to the international guys, I realised that I can compete and I did", the likable Johannesburg-based athlete explained.
The local athletes are traditionally better suited to perform on the down run mainly due to their faster leg speed, but Russian Leonid Shevetsov could put paid to that theory.
The large framed Russian finished second in his first and only Comrades to date back in 2001. Having concentrated on his marathon speed, the 38-year-old Shevetsov brought his time down to 2:09:16 in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, making him the fastest athlete to start outside the Pietermaritzburg town hall on Sunday at 05:30.
- SAPA