Athletics: Open Season competition-Seniors push juniors into accepting minor roles |09 March 2005

Louisianne Françoise (100 metres), Evans Marie (100 and 200 metres) and Eugène Ernesta (high jump) showed that they still have fire in their belly as they won their events in front of younger opponents who had started ruling these events.

Probably using the short sprints to pick up speed, one-lap specialist Evans Marie registered a double, winning the 100 and 200 metres in encouraging times of 10.7 seconds and 22.0 seconds as he readies for the 400 metres.

With Marie proving too fast, young male athlete of the year 2004 Mervin Loizeau, unbeaten in the sprints since last year, settled for the runner-up position in the two races with 10.9 seconds in the 100m and 22.3 seconds in the 200m.

With Joanna Houareau , the women’s 100m record holder (11.7 seconds hand timing and 11.89 seconds electronic timing), watching from afar as she still feels not ready to compete, Louisianne Françoise dipped to the finish line of the blue ribband race to win in a time of 12.4 seconds ahead of Sabrina Laurence (12.5 seconds) who then won the 200 metres in 26.4 seconds.

Taking part in her first competition this year, junior sprinter Samantha Akatsa, voted best junior athlete for the year 2004 by the Seychelles Amateur Athletics Federation, clocked a disappointing 13.3 seconds for fourth place in the 100 metres behind Natifa Larue (13.1 seconds).

In the absence of  fellow high jumper Jude Sidonie who had won the first three contests this year, record holder Eugène Ernesta cleared a best height of 2.05 metres, 15 centimetres below his Seychelles record of 2.20 metres.

Praslinois William Woodcock, whose personal best is 2.08 metres and achieved on February 5, 2005, settled for second position with 2 metres, while Hazeron Etienne could not go above 1.90 metres.

Lindy Leveau-Agricole is still struggling to get back to her best and make an assault on her javelin record of 55.83 metres but until then she has to surpass the 50-metre mark.
Last Friday, the former Sportslady of the Year and multiple athlete of the year award winner registered 48.13 metres in her favourite event.

Another strong athlete who is yet to hit form is Selwyn Beauchamp with 40.69 metres in the discus throw and 34.74 metres in the hammer.

At the end of the competition, points earned by each individual athlete went to their clubs and then totaled to determine the best male and female teams.

The following are the results for both male and female categories.

Female – 1st River Star (6,267 points), 2ndAnse Boileau (5,211 points), 3rd East Coast (3,053 points), 4th Arsu (2,001 points), 5th Belonie Stars (1,170 points), 6th Plaisance (607 points), 7th Mont Fleuri (539 points) and 8th Home Boys (413 points).

Male – 1st East Coast (9,263 points), 2nd Patriot (5,722 points), 3rd River Stars (4,868 points), 4th Pac (3,680 points), 5th Arsu (3,488 points), 6th Belonie Stars (1,788 points), 7th Home Boys (1,770 points) and 8th Anse Boileau (1,110 points).
Meanwhile, the Patron’s Cup will take place this weekend. The competition will start on Friday at 4.30 p.m. with the throwing events at Stad Popiler. All track events and jumps will be held on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. at Stad Linite.

All athletes will be given points worth of their performances and based on the International Association of Athletics Federation’s (SAAF) scoring table.

Therefore, the Patron’s Cup individual winners will be the male and female athletes to have acquired the highest number of points in one event.

The SAAF has also announced that the final of the cross-country series scheduled for Saturday March 19 has been postponed to Saturday April 9 at the Roche Caïman fitness trail.

G. G.