Athletics

Kesa Molotsane stuns Olympian to win world champs trial

20 January 2019 - 00:00 By DAVID ISAACSON

Kesa Molotsane stung Olympian Dominique Scott on the final lap to win the women's cross-country race at the SA trials in Pretoria yesterday.
Molotsane paced Scott for most of the race, and when she kicked on the final 2km leg of the 10km contest, the US-based Capetonian had no answer.
Molotsane, the 2017 Spar Grand Prix series winner, clocked 37min 25sec, with Scott, who competed in the 10,000m at the 2016 Rio Games, crossing the line eight seconds later.
Precious Mashele, the SA road 10km champion, lived up to his billing as the men's favourite, winning by more than a minute in front of steeplechaser Rantso Mokopane.
Mashele (30:54) admitted he had not followed the game plan set by coach, former distance star Hendrick Ramaala.
He was supposed to hold back until the penultimate lap. "I was scared of that guy, Ryan Mphahlele. He's a strong finisher."
Mphahlele was second early in the race before dropping back to fourth, still good enough for selection to the national team for the world cross-country championships in Aarhus, Denmark, on March 30.
LACTIC PAIN
The men's and women's teams are expected to comprise six runners each.
Mashele said afterwards he could feel the painful lactic effects of his early surge in his legs for the last 6km of the race.
Molotsane's strategy was to stick to Scott in the early phases of the race. "I haven't run a 10km for a long time," said the Free State University employee. She last covered the distance in October.
Scott had the faster personal bests of the two coming into the race - by nearly a minute in the 5,000m, almost three minutes in the 10,000m and by 30 seconds on the road over 10km.
But Scott, who flew from Cape Town on Friday, conceded afterwards that Molotsane had the better tactics. "Maybe I was a little too close to the front, perhaps I should have hung back a bit.
"But props to Kesa," said Scott, who also wants to make the SA team for the track and field world championships in Doha from September 28 to October 6.
Scott, one of the controversial omissions from the last SA track-and-field squad in 2017, is eager to try the 5,000m and 10,000m.
Molotsane is eyeing the 5,000m, as is Mashele. Mokopane, who will revert to the 3,000m steeplechase where he will need to take nearly three seconds off his 8:31.72 personal best to qualify.
"Steeplechase is harder," he said with a smile...

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