Rising sprinter Lucky Moleyane is focusing on future international championships after having missed out on the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, and the World Athletics u.20 Championships in Cali, Colombia.
Events will be from 28 July to 8 August and from 2 to 7 August. The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) announced the provisional squad of 190 athletes to represent the country at this year’s Commonwealth Games on Wednesday (15/06).
Moleyane is recovering from a hamstring injury he sustained in March.
“The injury made this a bad season and it derailed our plans to even compete in Europe,” said Elinda Vorster, coach.
According to the mentor, the injury occurred at the worst possible time given it affected their plans to compete abroad and nationally at the Athletics South Africa Grand Prix championship that served as qualifier for the games in England.
“Warmer seasons are ideal to achieve faster times,” Vorster said.Moleyane (19) sustained the injury on the backdrop of superb performance in the Free State Secondary Schools Athletic Championship during summer term.
He rose from the setback to clock 10.06 in 100 m and 20.97 in 200 m at AVT senior and u.20 Athletics Meeting end of May in Sasolburg.
“He qualified for international competitions, but there were candidates with faster times attained in the summer and this was during the time he was nursing his injury,” Vorster said.
Moleyane was part of South Africa’s 4 x 100 m junior relay team in the 2021 World Athletics u.20 championships in Kenya, helping South Africa set a world record of 38.51 seconds on 22 August.
