2 golds for sprinters in 100m at the Region 5 Games in Lilongwe, Malawi
Team SA sprinters finish fast to win 100m gold
By GARY LEMKE in Lilongwe
If ever further evidence was required that it’s not about how you start but how you finish, the Kaylee le Roux is that example. The teenager stormed to the gold medal in the girls 100m at the Region 5 Games in Lilongwe, Malawi, and did it the hard way.
The Team SA athlete had clocked 11.97 seconds in the morning semi-final at the Bingu National Stadium and in the afternoon session she hit the line in 12.01, running in lane four.
But that doesn’t tell the story. After a sluggish start, she was lying sixth through halfway. That is usually curtains for any 100m sprinter with medal claims, but she moved through strongly in the last 30m, in particular, to win with a bit of daylight between her and the silver medallist.
“I’m overwhelmed with this gold. It wasn’t the time I was looking for, but to come back after that slow start is a fantastic feeling. I also started slowly in the heats and again in the final I was last out of the blocks.
During the race a little voice inside me said, ‘fight until the end’, and that’s what I did. I think I have proved everyone who doubted me wrong. It has been a bumpy road for me medically, physically and emotionally. I felt like I was the underdog but I showed that underdogs can win.”
Le Roux recently matriculated from Eden Park High School in Gauteng and is now looking forward to the next phase of her career, which she hopes will see it carry her to the Olympics.
The men’s 100m was also won by a Team SA athlete, with Lucky Moleyane also finishing strongly to win the gold in 10.14.
That was a fast time and a lot quicker than the time that he’d posted in the morning semi-finals. However, a glance at the wind meter showed that there was a tailwind of +2.3 m/s, which in effect will result in a “wind assisted” asterisk next to the time when they write the records.
“I feel great,” the Grey College, Bloemfontein, student said afterwards. “I started slowly but then got the momentum. My legs were a bit shaky at the beginning, but I managed to run my race. I’m a very chilled person, uncomplicated and I don’t like conflict. I enjoy athletics and everything associated with it. Hopefully, representing Team SA at the Olympics is in my future!”
Photos: ROGER SEDRES
Team SA sprinters finish fast to win 100m gold
By GARY LEMKE in Lilongwe
If ever further evidence was required that it’s not about how you start but how you finish, the Kaylee le Roux is that example. The teenager stormed to the gold medal in the girls 100m at the Region 5 Games in Lilongwe, Malawi, and did it the hard way.
The Team SA athlete had clocked 11.97 seconds in the morning semi-final at the Bingu National Stadium and in the afternoon session she hit the line in 12.01, running in lane four.
But that doesn’t tell the story. After a sluggish start, she was lying sixth through halfway. That is usually curtains for any 100m sprinter with medal claims, but she moved through strongly in the last 30m, in particular, to win with a bit of daylight between her and the silver medallist.
“I’m overwhelmed with this gold. It wasn’t the time I was looking for, but to come back after that slow start is a fantastic feeling. I also started slowly in the heats and again in the final I was last out of the blocks.
During the race a little voice inside me said, ‘fight until the end’, and that’s what I did. I think I have proved everyone who doubted me wrong. It has been a bumpy road for me medically, physically and emotionally. I felt like I was the underdog but I showed that underdogs can win.”
Le Roux recently matriculated from Eden Park High School in Gauteng and is now looking forward to the next phase of her career, which she hopes will see it carry her to the Olympics.
The men’s 100m was also won by a Team SA athlete, with Lucky Moleyane also finishing strongly to win the gold in 10.14.
That was a fast time and a lot quicker than the time that he’d posted in the morning semi-finals. However, a glance at the wind meter showed that there was a tailwind of +2.3 m/s, which in effect will result in a “wind assisted” asterisk next to the time when they write the records.
“I feel great,” the Grey College, Bloemfontein, student said afterwards. “I started slowly but then got the momentum. My legs were a bit shaky at the beginning, but I managed to run my race. I’m a very chilled person, uncomplicated and I don’t like conflict. I enjoy athletics and everything associated with it. Hopefully, representing Team SA at the Olympics is in my future!”
Photos: ROGER SEDRES
