Johannesburg. - Justine Robbeson, one of South Africa's top female athletes since the retirement of Hestrie Cloete, dispelled all doubts about her fitness and earlier national javelin record when she achieved an excellent win at the 2008 Thessaloniki "Olympic meeting" at the Kaftanzoglio Stadium in Greece on Wednesday evening.

The 23-year-old former world junior heptathlon champion, and a gutsy competitor, adapted well to the windy conditions and won with 62.96m, the second best throw of her career.

She defeated the German athlete, Linda Stahl (60.60m) by a substantial margin.

After breaking the national and African record at Potchefstroom in February, doubt was expressed about the 63.49m, which also exceeded the Olympic A qualifying standard of 60.50m. An injury kept her out of action for some time and she was not even sent to the special ASA training camp in Potsdam, Germany. 

Another South African, Ofentse Mogowane, finished third in the 400m in a time of 46.15 sec. - Sapa