Makwala ready for Diamond League debut
Correspondent | Thursday June 5, 2014 10:48
Makwala has been hard at work preparing for the event though his schedule was disrupted when his training place, the UB Stadium was used for the Africa Youth Games. “The preparations are going well. After I did a sub 45 in the South Africa Open, I realised that everything is possible. So since then, I am working extremely harder,” Makwala told Mmegi Sport. He is convinced the Diamond League opens up a new platform for preparing for this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the African Championships.
The Commonwealth Games kick off on July 23 while the African Championships take place in Morocco from August 10-18.
Makwala won the African title in Benin two years ago and is keen to retain it. He has been in top form lately with a record-breaking 45,49 secs dash at a Mauritius meet in April.
The Tutume-born then broke the national record for 100m with a time of 10.20 seconds. At the South African Championships last month, he powered to victory with a much-improved 44.92 secs. He wants to repeat the sub 45 before the Commonwealth Games and the Diamond League presents a platform for the achievement.
“I think I am going to do well and I will be ready for the Commonwealth. Before the Commonwealth, I want to, at least, repeat the sub 45 again,” he said. If he gets to the Commonwealth Games without injury, he has vowed to win a medal.
Meanwhile, fresh from his weekend triumph in the US, Nijel Amos will take part in the Rome leg and is favoured to win as he has the best time of the lot.
400m men start list
GALVAN Matteo (Italy) 45.35 secs, LEVINE Nigel (Great Britain) 45.11, MAKWALA Isaac (Botswana), MANCE Josh (USA) 44.83, MASRAHI Youssef Ahmed (Saudi Arabia) 44.61, MERRITT LaShawn (USA) 43.74, SANTOS Luguel (Dominican Republic) 44.45, VERBURG David (USA) 44.75, WILLIAMS Conrad (Great Britain) 45.08
800m men start list
AMAN Mohammed (Ethiopia) 1:42.37, AMOS Nijel (Botswana) 1:41.73, BALLA Musaeb Abdulrahman (Qatar) 1:43.93, BELHANBEL Nader (Morocco) 1:45.69, BENEDETTI Giordano (Italy) 1:44.67,
KAKI Abubaker (Sudan) 1:42.23, KINYOR Job (Kenya) 1:43.76, LEWANDOWSKI Marcin (Poland) 1:43.79, SOLOMON Duane (USA) 1:42.82, SOM Bram (Netherlands) 1:43.45, SOWINSKI Erik (USA) 1:44.58