Boksburg South javelin thrower Armant van der Linden was one of the standout performers during Central Gauteng Athletics’ last track and field meeting ahead of the provincials.
He produced a new personal best throw at the Boksburg City Stadium on March 13.
Van der Linden, who was competing in the men’s u-20 group, obliterated his old mark of 64.01m to set his new best attempt of 68.11m – an effort that has pushed him into the top 10 world ranking according to him.
The feat was made more significant by the fact that he achieved the mark with an 800g senior weight javelin – 100g heavier than the javelin he’s accustomed to.
He moved on to feature at the Gauteng North Championships, which took place at the LC de Villiers Sports Grounds in Pretoria this past weekend.
Quizzed on whether breaking his record was the aim going into the meeting, Van der Linden said: “Not at all. My coach taught me to never chase a record or distance, so that was the last thing going through my mind.
“However, I knew I was throwing good in training and I was very positive going into the competition. After a long postponement of athletics, as soon as I walked onto the field, I felt the fire inside me starting to burn again,” he said.
“I was ecstatic about the record. I have been struggling this past few months with an injury but all seems well now so I was super excited to have thrown a new personal best.”
One of Van der Linden’s long-term goals was to reach the 70m mark, a wish he’s shared with the Advertiser in recent years. His latest attempt can only serve as extra motivation as he closes in on his goal.
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