Jobodwana set to represent South Africa, JSU in Rio

Coach Mark Thorne receives emails every day from athletes and coaches pitching themselves or their pupils as recruits for Jackson State’s track and field program.

But one of those emails stood out from the rest.

“He told me his time, 20.9, in the 200 and ,10.7, in the 100 meters, and those were the kind of times we were looking for in a prospective recruit,” Thorne said. “We knew that he (could be) a big (part) in what we were trying to do. Then I did my research on him and realized his times were legit, so we had no problem bringing him in because he was a special talent.”

The special talent belonged to Anaso Jobodwana, one of two former Tigers track standouts, along with Michael Tinsley, who will represent JSU in the 2016 Olympic games in Rio later this month.

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It will be a second consecutive Olympic appearance for Jobodwana, who was a member of the Tigers' program from 2011-13. The 24-year old will represent South Africa in the 200-meter dash. Round 1 of the event will be held on Aug. 16.

Five years ago, Jobodwana arrived in Jackson (and America, for that matter) as a kid from South Africa still acclimating to a new way of life.

“When he first got to Jackson State, everything was so different for him," said JSU assistant coach Jonathan Harris, who coached Jobodwana and was a teammate of Tinsley's. "The American culture, the way we went about doing things was so different for him. ... He was a little uncomfortable at first, but he went right into it.  He was pretty shy and laid back, but once he got it, he was good.”

Harris estimates it took Jobodwana about a month before he became fully adjusted. Despite the transition, the focus was always there.

Jobodwana knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish and how we would go about achieving it. Thorne described Jobodwana as "one of the best athletes to come through the SWAC in a very long time."

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At 6-foot-2, 157 pounds, Jobodwana has ideal size and speed. While he may have been shy, his coaches weren't reserved about his potential.

The topic of the Olympics became a part of conversations between Jobodwana, Thorne and Harris. So it came as no surprise when, at 20 years old, Jobodwana qualified for the London Olympics in the 200 in 2012.

“We knew he was talented and knew he was one of the fastest kids in South Africa,” Thorne said. “We knew he just had to run the qualifying times, 20.5, and he did that at a meet at Ole Miss. So we knew he would make the Olympic team. We were happy for him, for the program and for the school.”

Jobodwana reached the finals of the 200 in 2012, and raced against the likes of Jamaica's Usain Bolt. He finished eighth with a time of 20.69, and has improved since then.

Jobodwana made some more noise at the 2015 World Championships when he set a South African record with a 19.87 in the finals of the 200. He finished third in that race, behind Bolt and the United States' Justin Gatlin.

A pelvic injury slowed Jobodwana recently, but he's still on track to represent his country and JSU in the Olympics once again.

“I’m sure when the gun goes off and the enormity of the Olympics (hits), he’ll perform well,” Thorne said.

It's another chance for Jobodwana to showcase how special his talent really is.

Contact Antonio Morales at amorales2@jackson.gannett.com.  Follow him on Twitter.