African record holder in the men’s 110m Hurdles, Antonio Alkana, continued to build on his 2020 season, taking another step forward at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland on Tuesday night.
Alkana, the only South African taking part at the European Permit Meeting, clocked 13.59s to finish 3rd in his heat, clipping 0.20 off his Season’s Best (SB) which was set in Trieste, Italy earlier this month.
The 30-year-old athlete returned to the track a little over an hour later, again improving his SB to take 4th place in the final in 13.58s.
Up front, Andy Pozzi of Great Britain stormed to a convincing victory in 13.17s.
“We are happy to see an improved performance from the last time when he first competed in Europe last month amid a coronavirus pandemic that has drastically disrupted the order of Athletics around the world,” said Aleck Skhosana, the President of Athletics South Africa.
“While some European countries are starting to return to competition as they find stability in managing infections, South Africa and other countries in the continent are currently in the middle of a spike, making it unsuitable to return to any form of competition.
“Athletes are urged to continue taking advantage of the available and relaxed opportunities offered by government to keep fit and train in preparation for a time when it is deemed safe to resume activities in the country.”
