Burger’s back after dope ban

Herald Correspondent

CHAMPION shot putter Burger Lambrechts will make a welcome return to track and field athletics when the South African Championships are held at the Absa UPE Stadium this weekend.

Lambrechts tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid Stanozolol during the Absa Series meeting in Port Elizabeth in 2001. He set a national record at that meeting of 20.89 metres but was suspended for two years following the positive test.

The steroid was the same as that found in former Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson’s system during the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

Lambrechts has been included in the team of Northern Gauteng which will participate in the championships to be held in Port Elizabeth today and tomorrow.

It will be his first appearance of the season and he is apparently aiming for a distance of between 19 and 20 metres.

The senior championships return to Port Elizabeth this weekend after an absence of 19 years and some exciting tussles are expected.

The national selectors will have a tough time selecting the 4x100 metres men’s relay team. Following recent performances at the Absa and Engen meetings, local lads Sherwin Vries and Leigh Julius must be favourites for inclusion. Vries is regarded as the hot favourite for the sprints this weekend and has also recorded the season’s best of 10.08 in the 100m.

Julius also recorded a very fast 10.42 in Pretoria two weeks ago. Matthew Quinn, Morne Nagel and Clinton Venter are also in the running for national team selection.

Junior hammer thrower Jacques Koen will be going all out for a repeat performance following his gold in Pretoria two weeks ago. Koen, ranked fourth in the country, will also be aiming to better his season’s best of 62.20.

Distance runner Anthony Hermanus has faced a race against time in an effort to be fit for the event. Hermanus received five stitches in his left foot when he was spiked in the 1 500m final at the Junior Championships two weeks ago.

Hermanus will be aiming to qualify for the World Student Games by running the 5 000m in under 13 minutes.

Paul Gorries, former world junior champion, will come up against Marcus le Grange in the 400m. Gorries has been struggling with a slight injury in recent weeks.

But with the help of local support and his recent performances, the 400m gold medal might just stay in Port Elizabeth.

“We have an excellent chance of taking gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m for men, so we urge our fans to please come and support our athletes this weekend,” said Annelize Jerling of Eastern Province Athletics.

Tickets are on sale at the gates at R20 for adults and R10 for children under 18. For more information contact Annelize Jerling on 082 323 4251.

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