Llewellyn eyes Berlin in comeback

Llewellyn Herbert will compete for the first time in over a year when he participates in a hurdles event at the LC de Villiers Stadium on Saturday.

Many people laughed in their sleeve when a slightly overweight Herbert announced 70 days before the Olympic Games in Beijing that he would run again. The general belief was that Herbert would train for a few days and then disappear.

But two months after the Games Herbert is still training and has his fellow athletes talking.

It’s not even funny to hear athletes talk positively about Herbert with statements like the following: “Have you seen how good Llewellyn is looking? I can’t believe he is training seriously again and I just hope he keeps it up.”

Some coaches are also surprised at the times Herbert has been recording during training.

His coach, Nico van Heerden, said Herbert could represent South Africa at next year’s World Championship in Athletics in Berlin.

That would, of course, depend on Herbert, South Africa’s fastest hurdler over 400m with a time of 47,81 seconds and Olympic medal winner, sticking it out.

Herbert said he had no plans to forfeit his hard work of the last few months.

“I really feel good. I lost weight and for the first time in a while I’m enjoying training. I’m back to do my own thing. I can only win because I have nothing to lose. Nobody is expecting anything from me and I know I’m being written off as the old man of hurdling,” he said.

Herbert does not want to talk much about Saturday.

“It’s not about times and places for me at this stage. I just want to finish. My goal is to gradually improve my times and qualify for the World Championship,” he said.

“If I achieve that, I know a few decision-makers at Athletics South Africa will choke on their coffee.”