Ernst van Dyk takes sixth spot in wheelchair marathon
BY MARK ETHERIDGE: 19 SEPTEMBER 2016, 12:16
Rio De Janeiro — Seven-time Paralympian Ernst van Dyk wrapped up Team SA’s 2016 Paralympic Games with a sixth-spot finish in the wheelchair marathon on Sunday.
And fellow veteran Fanie van der Merwe was honoured as the team’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony later in the day.
Van Dyk, 43‚ who on Thursday had won gold in the road race‚ ended with a time of 1hr 30min 11sec‚ the only South African competitor in action. Switzerland’s Marcel Hug won in 1:26.16.
“Conditions were very extreme and the heat was severe‚” said Van Dyk. “Marcel Hug made an attack after the first turning point‚ and I saw David Weir just gave up.
“I tried to chase them down but then it’s a case of mind games … no-one wanted to help and it was then a race for bronze‚ just trying to survive and jostling around.
“I had a good position but then there was a Chinese girl that we lapped and she was bang in front of us and I went right back to the back of the bunch,” Van Dyk said.
“That’s the thing with multiple loops … these things happen and it gets more complicated. Once the guys got a gap I yelled at the guys to help pull but I knew that was it.
“But still, it as a very good Games for me (fifth‚ first and sixth) and I also didn’t do any specific work for this race and was hoping for a bit of a slower race.”
Onwards and upwards though, for Van Dyk. “Next week it is the Berlin Marathon, then Chicago and New York. Even further ahead I just want to keep on racing the marathon circuit and keep on going as long as I can‚ and hey‚ if Tokyo 2020 comes around and I’m still there .. we’ll have to see.”
Team SA ended their 2016 Games with 17 medals — seven gold‚ six silver and four bronze.
That put them 22nd on the medals table.
Four years ago in London‚ Team SA won 29 medals (eight gold‚ 12 silver and nine bronze), which put them 18th in the rankings
The project, which will cost R16m and is being funded by the Frankfurt-based development bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufblau, will create a link between Noordgesig in Soweto and Orlando, Rehana Moosajee, Johannesburg’s mayoral committee member for transport said yesterday. The city has plans for other cycling routes and pedestrian ways, and all new developments in the city will prioritise access for non-motorised transport, Ms Moosajee said.
Within Johannesburg there is a plan to build 50km of bicycle ways that are meant to take into account the need to create more sustainable transport modes and healthier alternatives to private car use.
The Noordgesig and Orlando project will link seven schools, two clinics, a magistrate’s court, a police station, Metrorail train stations and Bus Rapid Transit stations, Ms Moosajee said.
“By the end of this term of office in 2016 Johannesburg should see a substantial offering to the public; there will be a culture of cycling in the city. We want to have cycling access within a 5km to 10km distance from Gautrain and Rea Vaya routes. We are beyond planning now and moving to implementation; you will see a rollout of infrastructure.”
Artist impressions of the route show a combination of dedicated pedestrian and cycle paths on either side of the road and will include cycle and pedestrian pathways through a green area.
Gauteng transport MEC Ismail Vadi is a man with an eye on the clock as his administration has 20 months left in office. He is determined that the programmes and plans for mobility and non-motorised transport that have been drawn up by cities within the province will start becoming visible to citizens.
“There is no reason why students should have to take their cars to university. That whole area between Wits and UJ should have bike routes,” Mr Vadi said.
Mr Vadi said it would not need a large investment to start showing Johannesburg’s city dwellers that the province was committed to changing and improving the quality of life in the city.
“Why can’t we have routes that link Zoo Lake with Westdene Dam with Emmarentia Dam so families can cycle in the city on weekends and enjoy the green spaces… we would need some signage and some education, but that won’t cost a lot,” Mr Vadi said.
Bicycle projects should avoid focusing on the outlying suburbs of the city of Johannesburg as one of the major gains to be had from creating pedestrian and cycle ways was decongesting the busy urban areas within the city.
Being able to cycle within and between Sandton and Rosebank would go a long way to decongesting these former residential suburbs, which have developed into business districts. “We must get to the point where we move away from just having plans and start to implement them; start somewhere, pilot something and see how it works,” Mr Vadi said.
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