Do not blink at the world championships this week or you might just miss Anaso Jobodwana.
The star Eastern Cape sprinter, who hit a speed wobble during the European summer recently, is looking relaxed and confidently talking about chasing medals at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing.
Jobodwana, a 200m finalist at the 2012 Olympics and the last world championships in 2013, will compete in his favourite half-lap race and the 4x100m relay.
“I’ve been to two finals, major finals, and for me just making the final now is not enough. I’ve been working to be a medal contender,” said the product of Phakamisa township outside King William’s Town.
His 2015 season started well enough as he broke the SA 200m record twice in the space of two weeks, going 20.06sec and 20.04.
Then he slumped. Jobodwana’s times slowed as he visibly struggled to close out his races, constantly slowing over the final 50m.
Last month his compatriot and friend, red-hot 400m star Wayde van Niekerk, did a one-off 200m race and lowered the SA record to 19.94 in Switzerland. Jobodwana was there that night, racing in the next 200m heat.
“I knew he was going to do it.”
Straight afterwards Van Niekerk went to Jobodwana and jokingly asked him to spare his record for a while. But Jobodwana admitted he wasn’t in the right condition to go faster that night. That was then, this is now.
Jobodwana’s poor form is the result of trying to get better.
He explained he had been learning a new running style since he joined coach Stuart McMillan at the Altis training centre in Phoenix, Arizona, at the beginning of this year.
Now the 23-year-old’s legs resemble pistons.
“It’s been taking some getting used to,” admitted Jobodwana, who won the 100m and 200m double at the 2013 World Student Games.
“When I was running I knew that my mechanics were not efficient because I was taking way too many steps.
“Like in the 100m at the World Student Games I took 52 steps and the average is usually 46 steps. Usain Bolt takes 42 steps.”
Jobodwana, who has decided not to compete in the 100m today, said his new style required several elements, and at the beginning of the season the aim had been simply to get fast enough to get invitations to the big meets.
It worked, as evidenced by his two national records. But then they focused on other facets and that had affected his racing.
“We took a step back and lost a lot of power … My races I start off really good, come off the bend with everybody else, but then I just start fading.
“The last three weeks leading up to this championship we’ve been working on my strength for the last part of the race. I’m in a better space now because I was a little bit frustrated.”
Jobodwana was also chipper about the prospects of the 4x100m relay, where he will team up with Akani Simbine and Henricho Bruintjies, who share the 9.97sec SA 100m record, and 110m hurdler Antonio Alkana next weekend.
The US and Jamaica will fight it out for the top two places, but the bronze medal is wide open.
“It’s a good team and everybody’s in good spirits about it because we’ve got a really, really good shot of getting a medal and that’s real.
“We’re in there with Canada, we’re in there with France and Great Britain in terms of getting a medal,” said Jobodwana, who leads the Diamond League 200m standings by one point.
Anaso all set for fast lane
The star Eastern Cape sprinter, who hit a speed wobble during the European summer recently, is looking relaxed and confidently talking about chasing medals at the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing.
Jobodwana, a 200m finalist at the 2012 Olympics and the last world championships in 2013, will compete in his favourite half-lap race and the 4x100m relay.
“I’ve been to two finals, major finals, and for me just making the final now is not enough. I’ve been working to be a medal contender,” said the product of Phakamisa township outside King William’s Town.
His 2015 season started well enough as he broke the SA 200m record twice in the space of two weeks, going 20.06sec and 20.04.
Then he slumped. Jobodwana’s times slowed as he visibly struggled to close out his races, constantly slowing over the final 50m.
Last month his compatriot and friend, red-hot 400m star Wayde van Niekerk, did a one-off 200m race and lowered the SA record to 19.94 in Switzerland. Jobodwana was there that night, racing in the next 200m heat.
“I knew he was going to do it.”
Straight afterwards Van Niekerk went to Jobodwana and jokingly asked him to spare his record for a while. But Jobodwana admitted he wasn’t in the right condition to go faster that night. That was then, this is now.
Jobodwana’s poor form is the result of trying to get better.
He explained he had been learning a new running style since he joined coach Stuart McMillan at the Altis training centre in Phoenix, Arizona, at the beginning of this year.
Now the 23-year-old’s legs resemble pistons.
“It’s been taking some getting used to,” admitted Jobodwana, who won the 100m and 200m double at the 2013 World Student Games.
“When I was running I knew that my mechanics were not efficient because I was taking way too many steps.
“Like in the 100m at the World Student Games I took 52 steps and the average is usually 46 steps. Usain Bolt takes 42 steps.”
Jobodwana, who has decided not to compete in the 100m today, said his new style required several elements, and at the beginning of the season the aim had been simply to get fast enough to get invitations to the big meets.
It worked, as evidenced by his two national records. But then they focused on other facets and that had affected his racing.
“We took a step back and lost a lot of power … My races I start off really good, come off the bend with everybody else, but then I just start fading.
“The last three weeks leading up to this championship we’ve been working on my strength for the last part of the race. I’m in a better space now because I was a little bit frustrated.”
Jobodwana was also chipper about the prospects of the 4x100m relay, where he will team up with Akani Simbine and Henricho Bruintjies, who share the 9.97sec SA 100m record, and 110m hurdler Antonio Alkana next weekend.
The US and Jamaica will fight it out for the top two places, but the bronze medal is wide open.
“It’s a good team and everybody’s in good spirits about it because we’ve got a really, really good shot of getting a medal and that’s real.
“We’re in there with Canada, we’re in there with France and Great Britain in terms of getting a medal,” said Jobodwana, who leads the Diamond League 200m standings by one point.
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