Eight months ago we witnessed Wayde van Niekerk and Akani Simbine shine on the grandest stage in Rio, introducing themselves to the world in some style. Simbine finished fifth in the men’s 100m, just 0.03 seconds off a bronze medal. Van Niekerk broke a 17-year-old Olympic record to win the 400m in 43.03.
Not long before that, we had seen these raw talents announcing themselves to South Africa at Varsity Athletics, as the young student athletes honed their skills, shaving seconds off their times and maturing on the track meeting after meeting.
Van Niekerk and Simbine have come of age. They are Olympians at the top of their game. And tonight in Potchefstroom the stands will be packed as spectators are treated to a meeting of Olympic standards in the ASA Senior Championships. If there was any doubting the magnitude of the event, the world’s fastest man put them to bed.
“Shout out to South African nationals for athletics on this week. @WaydeDreamer you know I’ll be watching #FillupPotch,” tweeted Bolt as the gaze of even the world’s greatest falls on Potch today.
S/o to South African national for athletics on this week. @WaydeDreamer you know I’ll be watching #FillupPotch
— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) April 19, 2017
Simbine will duel Van Niekerk for the bragging rights of fastest man in South Africa in the 100m and 200m events, alongside rising stars and 2017 Varsity Athletics champions, Gift Leotlela and Thando Roto. Not forgetting Caster Semenya, these five world class athletes are set to thrill on Friday night as Potchefstroom is treated to something quite special.
Varsity Athletics athletes in action:
Wayde van Niekerk (Kovsies)
Akani Simbine (Tuks)
Caster Semenya (Pukke)
Thando Roto (Tuks)
Gift Leotlela (Tuks)
Anaso Jobodwana (Tuks)
Justine Palframan (Maties)
Henricho Bruintjies (Tuks)
LJ van Zyl (Tuks)
Lynique Prinsloo (UJ)
Elroy Galant (Pukke)
Tebogo Mamatu (Tuks)
Le Roux Hamman (Tuks)
