The Free State Secondary Schools Athletic Championship season climax as the event build up to the national championships. Multitudes of aspiring athletes representing their schools will showcase their talent, over two-days -starting Friday, 4 ending on Saturday 5, at the Free State Athletics Stadium in Bloemfontein.
Top performers proceed to represent the province nationally. The athletes reach this stage following their best performance in preliminary events during the just-ended month of February. Last Saturday’s meeting saw even senior athletes as Kesa Molotsane in action, sharpening for national and international championships.
The upcoming event will be another showdown of various barefoot runners baring their natural soles against counterparts in their running spikes in track events. The sprint events, 100m and 200m would be centre of attraction with stardom destined Lucky Moleyane (18), expecting a challenge from his peers. He continued his dominance on Saturday, winning both sprinting events at much improved times, 10.49 in the 100m and 20.97 in the 200m. Lucky’s teammate from Grey College, Jarryd Crossman remains the strongest challenger thus far having finished behind in both sprinting events, 10.58 in the 100m and in 21.31 in the 200m.
Lucky still reigns supreme since achievement helping to set a new record in the 4 x 100 m relay at the World Athletics u.20 Championships in Kenya last year. He was part of the winning quartet of Mihlali Xhotyeni, Sinesipho Dambile and Benjamin Richardson. The South African relay team set a world record of 38.51 seconds on 22 August, and broke the previous world record of 38.62, set by the USA at the Pan American Games in Costa Rica in July 2019.
According to Elinda Vorster, Lucky’s trainer, the star performance is well in line with immediate plan for the 2022 World Athletics u.20 Championships in Cali, Colombia. The international youth championship is set to take place from 2-7 August. “We are taking it easy because the season is very long. We are working on improving,” says Voster.
Lucky’s ability is noted after smashing Grey College’s longstanding record of 22.10 in the 200 m in January 2019 by setting a record of 21.49. The previous record had stood for 36 years after it was set by Ian Small-Smith and Pierre Swart.
Also in 2019, Lucky achieved a personal best time of 10.64 in the 100 m at the South African Youth and Junior Track and Field meeting in Paarl. In 2018, at the 20th Grey College OMS Athletics Meeting, Lucky’s personal best in the 100 m and 200 m had been 10.60 and 21.60 respectively. He attained this while at the age 14.
On Saturday, multitudes of learners will show their mettle in various track and field events, namely the 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, 1 500 m, 5 000 m and 10 000 m races, as well as long jump, high jump, discus throw, hammer throw and shot put well as javelin.
