Boksburg Athletic Club (BAC) sprinter Divine Mavhungu has backed himself to consistently run a sub-11 in the 100m ahead of the ASA youth and junior track and field championships at Germiston Stadium from March 26 to 28.

Mavhungu broke the 11-second barrier when he clocked 10.87 in his heat in the U20 men’s 100m dash during the last CGA open track and field meeting at Germiston Stadium on February 28.

“I don’t want to touch the 11s anymore. The aim is to run the 10s,” he said.

After opening his 100m account with 11.01 seconds on February 14, Mavhungu ran like an athlete determined to step out of the shadow of competitors like Donovan Jansen van Vuuren and Tshiamo Motsamai, who have consistently broken the 11-second barrier this season.

He demonstrated his relief when he crossed the line with one finger in the air after a brief glimpse at the clock revealed he had finally achieved his goal.

“My plan at the start of the season was to participate in every league and see where I am. Now I see my times are consistent. They are dropping. I’m excited for the 100m because that’s where I’m doing better,” said Mavhungu.

This performance was a welcome relief for the 18-year-old athlete going into the CGA championships next week. He goes into the provincial showpiece without pressure, having already met the ASA champs qualifying standards of 10.90 seconds in the 100m and 22.25 seconds in the 200m.

Having clocked a season’s best in the 100m, the athlete acknowledged that he is still some way off from achieving his goal in the 200m. His highlight reel in the distance includes a season’s best of 22.21 seconds clocked in the second league on February 7, and 22.31 seconds for fourth place in the last league meeting.

“I’m planning to make the final in the 100m. My ultimate goal is to go to the nationals. The 200m was my specialist event. I’m really trying to improve as quickly as possible. My goal is to run at least 21.50 seconds. I will be happy if I can achieve that.”

Referring to his season overview, Mavhungu indicated that the transition from school athletics to the junior ranks at the club level disrupted his usual rhythm at the start of the campaign.

He explained that he had grown accustomed to using school competitions to build momentum and sharpen his form ahead of the club track season and without that familiar pathway, it took time find his stride.

“It’s been complicated. Now that I’m out of school, it’s hard to get back into my running as quickly as I used to. I’m getting there, but it’s taking time,” he said.

He started running in Grade Three and has represented CGA several times in different age groups. He joined the BAC in Grade Eight.

“BAC is a nice club. We are a family.”

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