How to groom the next Caster heroes
Coach believes SA must ensure new bunch of stars can make it
London — Caster Semenya contributed richly to SA’s medal haul in London, but already her coach is wondering about the country’s new generation of stars. Jean Verster believes picking full-strength teams — which Athletics SA did not do for this world championship — is an important step in grooming the future heroes. Semenya and Wayde van Niekerk won two medals each with long-jumpers Luvo Manyonga and Ruswahl Samaai delivering the other two as SA banked a record six gongs. Lebo Shange finished fourth in the 20km walk and Akani Simbine fifth in the 100m. And then a gap. "It would be nice if we had more placings as well and, looking at it critically, we need to look at the next generation," Verster said. "We’ve got a few stars now, but we’ve got to make sure the new bunch comes through as well. "I think that’s what we’ve done pretty well over the last decade… getting youngsters exposed to these type of championships," Verster said. Van Niekerk and Simbine failed to progress past the hea...
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