In its quest to create a world-class team of Paralympic athletes, the group of amputees competing under management of Icexpress Progressive Prosthetics continues to push boundaries at provincial and national level.
Twelve Icexpress athletes - including three new members from the North-West Province associated with the Platinum Health group - competed to achieve qualifying standards at the Gauteng Trials, which was held on Saturday 11 September at Pilditch Stadium.
The team, competing alongside athletes with disabilities from (among others) the University of Johannesburg, Muriel Brand School and Hope School, is made up of several junior and senior leg amputees participating in various track and field events.
Among them were Good Morning Angels funding recipients; sprinter Berno Haarhoff and double amputee Roy Williams. Haarhoff ran the T44 100m in 15.20 seconds and the 200m in 32.16 seconds - new personal best times in both instances. Williams, who is competing for the first time since receiving his sponsored prostheses in June this year, did well in all F43 field events and will attempt to achieve qualifying distances at the second round of trials scheduled for 23 October.
North-West Province competitor, Petrus van Breda, achieved qualifying standards for the F44 Shotput, Discus, as well as Javelin events with his fellow Platinum Health team members fairing just as well. Zanelle Pohl, the first woman to join “Team Icexpress”, participated in all three field events and 14-year old Tiaan Huyzers threw a record breaking 6.66m in the Final Boys 16 F44 Shotput event. (The current SA Record stands at 6.1m).
Other Icexpress athletes that made qualifying standards include:
* Casper Derik Schutte
Final Men 20 F42 Shotput (9.84m)
Final Men 20 F42 Javelin (35.02m)
Final Men 20 F42 Discus (26.8m)
* Heugene Murray
Final Men 23 F42 Javelin (35.02m)
Final Men 23 T42 100m (15.20 seconds)
* Dewaldt Reynders
Final men 23 F44 Shotput (10.44m)
* Fred Furstenburg
Final Men 23 F44 Shotput (10.11m)
Pretoria competitor, Martin Dinkelman, and 17-year-old newcomer from the North-West, Lohan Fourie, both competed in the various field events on the day with Junior Mavuso from Muriel Brand School completing the Icexpress dozen.
Mavuso forms part of Icexpress' Jumping Kids Project and is one to watch for Paralympic team selection. He achieved qualifying standards in all three his field events - Final Boys 18 F42 Javelin, Discus, and Shotput - and together with young Tiaan Huyzers, is sure to excel at next year's National Championships.
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