BONGANI MALUNGA
Isaac Makwala has started the 2018 season in red hot form after claiming a 300m and 400m double at the inaugural Liquid Telecom Athletix Grand Prix Series in South Africa. Makwala won the 300m race on Friday with a record of 31.77 in Johannesburg to keep up his tag as a podium finish favourite at the upcoming 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
With the Commonwealth Games only 21 days away, Makwala has demonstrated that his 2017 form was no fluke as he is currently the world leader in the 400m category with a timing of 45.03 which was recorded on March 1 in Roodepoort in the first week of the Grand Prix tournament, earning him his first gold medal in the tournament.
This past Friday he attempted to beat records previously set by Michael Johnson (30.85) and Wayde Van Nierkek (30.81) in recent years. Makwala could not break the sub 31 record but still won the 300m race to grab a second gold medal of the Series.
The former African 400m champion also fell seconds short of his personal best 300m record of 31.44 which he recorded in Ostrava, Czech Republic at the Golden Spike Athletics Meet in June last year.
The double gold medal win will boost Makwala’s confidence ahead of the Commonwealth Games, last year proved to be the best statistical year of his career as he won his first global honour (the IAAF Diamond League trophy) and earned global recognition. If his early season form is anything to by, 2018 could be an even better year for the Motswana athlete.