Olympic acclaim for the NWU

POTCHEFSTROOM - Terseus Liebenberg, athletics manager on the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU), is the appointed throwers’ coach of the national athletics team that is to compete in the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Mr Liebenberg, who boasts a range of outstanding performances among his athletes, and yet another NWU Puk, Justine Robbeson, South African and Africa women’s javelin record holder, recently left for Korea for a ten day exercise camp along with the other athletes . Following this, they will arrive in Beijing on 13 August to show what they are capable of.

Apart from Ms Robbeson, currently ranked seventh among women javelin throwers with a distance of 63,49 m, Mr Liebenberg has to date helped to polish numerous athletes to become champions.

Among them is Marius Corbett, the brilliant javelin thrower who still holds the South African and Africa record with his distance of 88,75 m. Mr Corbett was South Africa’s first track and field athlete who became a world champion at the Olympic Games in Athens in 1997. The next year he became the champion at the Commonwealth Games. He was the junior world champion in 1994, and in the year in which he won the gold medal at the Olympic Games he also snapped up the world student title. Mr Liebenberg produced yet another star in 2000 when Hardus Pienaar became the javelin junior world champion.

Mr Liebenberg, who joined the NWU Puk in 1993, says that it is an honour to represent South Africa and the NWU at the Olympic Games. “Justine and I will do everything in our power to be good ambassadors of the University and the country. We are grateful for the opportunity,” he said.

? Sunette Viljoen, another one of Mr Liebenberg’s athletes, is currently not on the team, but negotiations are still taking place concerning her possible inclusion. She was the champion javelin thrower at the Commonwealth Games lasting 2006. Ockert Celliers (400 m hurdles), the other athlete who reached the qualifying standard, is not on the final team.

? Leslè-Ann George is included in the South African hockey team that is to participate in the Games, while Ian Symons, who plays for the NWU Puk Club, is a member of the men’s hockey team.

Mr Terseus Liebenberg, throwers’ coach of the national athletics team that is to compete in the Olympic Games in Beijing.