South African athletes will be targeting multiple podium places over the next week, as they prepare to open their campaign on Tuesday at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.
A squad of 44 athletes (26 men and 18 women) left on Saturday, and they will be confident of putting up a fight against the world’s top junior track and field talent.
The team includes the likes of 400m hurdler Njabulo Mbatha, who is ranked first in the world this year in the U20 age group in his specialist event, as well as 400m sprinter Udeme Okon and discus thrower Juan Marais, who are both ranked third in their events.
Other athletes to watch are Bayanda Walaza and Bradley Nkoana, who formed part of the silver medal-winning SA 4x100m relay team at the recent Paris Olympics, and fellow sprinters Viwe Jingqi and Precious Molepo.
Alicia Khunou will be looking to make an impact in the shot put and discus throw disciplines, and 16-year-old Tumi Ramokgopa will be hoping to challenge athletes three years older than her in the 400m hurdles.
‘I must race for a medal’
“We’re not going for experience anymore. We’ve got that, so I’m not just going there as one of the participants. I must race for a medal,” Jingqi, the SA junior women’s 100m record holder, said ahead of the team’s departure at the weekend.
“I don’t like putting pressure on myself but sometimes pressure is important. You can’t keep running without goals, so the goal is to go there and run my best, and anything can happen.”
The biennial World Athletics U20 Championships will be held in Lima between 27-31 August.
The SA team will be aiming to improve on the national squad’s performance at the global junior championships in Cali, Colombia two years ago where South Africa did well to finish fifth in the final table with five medals (two gold, one silver and two bronze).
SA team, World Athletics U20 Championships (Lima, Peru)
Women
Viwe Jingqi (100m, 200m, 4x100m)
Kaili Botje (100m, 4x100m)Chane Wansbury (4x100m)
Chane Vermeulen (200m, 400m, 4x400m)
Precious Molepo (400m, 4x400m)
Coleen Scheepers (4x400m)
Izandri Jacobs (800m)
Li-Mari Dekker (1500m, 3000m)
Naledi Makgatha (1500m)
Lana Oberholzer (100m hurdles)
Roline Louw (100m hurdles)
Hannah van Niekerk (400m hurdles, 4x400m)
Tumi Ramokgopa (400m hurdles, 4x400m)
Timeke Jade Ceotzee (long jump)
Atang Naane (long jump, 4x100m)
Sydney Rothman (pole vault)
Alicia Khunou (shot put, discus throw)
Men
Bayanda Walaza (100m, 200m, 4x100m)
Neo Modibe (100m, 4x100m)
Bradley Nkoana (4x100m)
Tshepo Tyantini (4x100m)
Bertie Cruywagen (200m)
Bryan Katoo (400m, 4x400m)
Udeme Okon (400m)
Kryn Romjin (4x400m)
Sihle Mahlanga (4x400m)
Matthew Burnett (800m)
Karabelo Mothlabedi (800m)
Johannes Morepe (1500m)
Dumisani Motloung (1500m)
Werner Bezuidenhout (110m hurdles)
Wihan Kemp (110m hurdles)
Ntiyiso Nkanyani (400m hurdles)
Njabulo Mbatha (400m hurdles, 4x400m)
Tshepang Dankuru (high jump)
Luke van der Merwe (high jump)
Temoso Masikane (long jump)
JL van Rensburg (shot put)
Henco Lamberts (shot put)
Juan Marais (discus throw)
Michael Badenhorst (discus throw)
Ewald Jansen (javelin throw)
Charl Greyling (hammer throw)
