Despite facing a second consecutive year of competition being held in Oudtshoorn, adding significant travel distances and costs for inland competitors, Mpumalanga’s biathlon stars proved their mettle at the 49th South African Biathlon Championships on March 21 and 22.

A proud contingent of 42 athletes represented the province in what was described as a world-class event at the De Jager Sports Complex.

The Mpumalanga team returned home with several prestigious honours, most notably celebrating gold medallists Adrian Lopes and Hannah Morgado, as well as silver medallist Dawid de Villiers. All three are Curro Nelspruit learners.

The province’s performance is particularly impressive given that several key athletes were unavailable this year due to commitments at the SANJ Swimming and SA Athletics events.

Adrian competed in the boys U11 category. In the 400m run he froze the stopwatch on 01:09.01, earning 1 055.98 points. He scored 1 043.95 points in the 50m swim with a time of 00:35.21.

His points total of 2 099.93, just 2.13 more than that of silver medallist Albert John van der Spuy of Boland, gave Adrian the gold medal. “My toughest battle on the day was the last 100m on the 400m sprint, and pushing myself in the last 10m of the swim to win my heat,” said Adrian.

“Biathlon has taken a lot of dedication, training and concentration in the past three years. I was aiming for a podium place, but I won gold.”

Hannah dominated the girls U13 category. She completed the 800m run in 02:31.72, scoring 1 058.72 points; and the 50m swim in 00:31.43, gaining 1 065.70 points. Her gold-medal-winning points total was 2 124.26.

“This year, knowing I wasn’t the fastest runner, I focused on staying close to the front to minimise point loss and then won more points on swimming, which is my strength. I was confident with my performance, but I was nervous until the awards ceremony when they announced the winners. I was relieved when I heard my name,” said Hannah.

In the boys U17 category, Dawid scored 1054.30 points in the 800m run in 02:08.85, and 1 054.20 in the 100m swim with a time of 00:59.16. His points total of 2 108.50 earned him the silver medal.

Team management expressed high confidence that the medal tally will grow even further next year when the squad returns to full strength.

Biathlon remains a cornerstone of family-oriented sport in the region. This was highlighted by a special presentation to Zarlia Engelbrecht, who received a certificate of recognition for 10 years of dedicated participation.

Next year marks the historic 50th Anniversary of the South African Biathlon Championships. While the flagship event may return to Oudtshoorn, organisers have already cleared a major hurdle for travelling families.

The SA Biathlon management and Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees organisers have reached an agreement to ensure the two events do not overlap, despite both falling within the holiday period. This co-ordination promises families a seamless, action-packed week away with a diverse ‘plate’ of both sporting and cultural activities.

The Mpumalanga Biathlon Association continues to grow and invites new talent to join their ranks. Athletes or parents interested in getting involved in this multi-discipline sport are encouraged to reach out. For more information, contact: Jan Engelbrecht 082 784 5682 or Bruce Macaulay 079 883 7806.