A muted Athletics South Africa's (ASA) Athletix Grand Prix series was given the right kind of jolt in its third and final meet at the University of Johannesburg Stadium on Wednesday night.
With an eye on the massive picture that is the Olympics this season, most of South Africa's top athletes have either given the series a wide berth or sought to use it only insofar as participating suited their preparations for hopefully bigger things this year.
To that end, long jumper Jovan van Vuuren ended up not turning up at any after posting a personal best 8.30 metres at the Gauteng North Provincial Championships; precocious sprinting teen Viwe Jingqi put in one 200m race at the opening Grand Prix of the series at her base of Potchefstroom; as did stable mate Benjamin Richardson.