(05/03/2005)

South Africa's world high jump champion Jacques Freitag has opened his outdoor season with an African record at the fourth ABSA Series meeting held at the De Jager Stadium in Oudtshoorn, South Africa.

Freitag cleared the bar at 2.38m to win after a stiff challenge by the current SA champion Ramsay Carelse from Cape Town.

He added one centimetre to his African and national record set three years ago and tied the Commonwealth record set by Troy Kemp of the Bahamas ten years ago.

The winning height also made him joint world leader in 2005 with Russian Yaroslav Rybakov who achieved same indoors recently.

Freitag cleared the bar at 2.38m to win after stiff challenge by the current SA champion Ramsay Carelse from Cape Town.

Freitag said: "My plan this year is to break the African record two more times. I feel I have what it takes to break the 2.40m barriers.

"I have a new coach (Bob Cervanka) and my jumping technique off my right leg has improved. It is great to have overcome two career-threatening injuries last year,"

Second placed Ramsay Carelse, 19, was nevertheless delighted with his performance as he improved his career best by nine centimetres with a clearance of 2.30m.

Morne Nagel won the 200m in 20.72 sec while Geraldine Pillay won women's sprints in 11.38 and 23.09 sec.

19-year-old Lohan Rautenbach, who was second at the world junior championships in Grossetto last year, defeated Hardus Pienaar, the African and former world junior champion to win the javelin throw in 78.14m.

Another Grossetto hero, World junior triple jump champion and long jump silver medalist, Godfrey Khotso Mokoena, beat the SA long jump champion Martin McClintock in the long jump with 7.95m.

Olympic 800m silver medallist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi comfortably won the men's two lap race.

Johan Cronje (3:41.53) edged out Reuben Ramolefi (3:41.84) and Johan Pretorius (3:43.05) in the 1500m.