Thlobo only non-qualifier for world champs

Eastern Province's Ezael Thlobo was on Tuesday rewarded for his consistent performances over the years with a place in the South African men's marathon team for August's ninth IAAF World Championships in Athletics.

Thlobo, who recently celebrated his 39th birthday, was the only non-qualifier to make the formidable five-man team named by Athletics South Africa (ASA) for the August 23-31 global showpiece.

ASA's qualifying standard was 2hr 11min, to be achieved between September 1, 2002 and April 30, 2003.

Thlobo recorded a time of 2:11,08 in the Berlin Marathon last September 29 and was included on that basis.

The team is spearheaded by Josia Thugwane, the marathon gold medallist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

The 32-year-old from Mpumalanga ran 2:10,05 when winning the Seoul Marathon last November 3, and four weeks ago finished second to Kenyan Eric Wainaina when defending his Olympic Memorial Marathon title in Nagano, Japan.

Another Olympian, Gert Thys, booked his ticket to Paris by winning the Seoul Marathon, which he entered as a pacemaker, in 2:08,42 on March 16 this year.

The other team members, Johannesburg's Hendrick Ramaala and Capetonian Ian Syster, finished eighth and ninth in the London Marathon on April 13 in respective times of 2:08,58 - a career-best for Ramaala - and 2:09,18.