Local athlete qualifies for the Tokyo Olympic Games
As it stands, Snyman is the second Tuks athlete to qualify for the Tokyo Games.
Tuks race walker, Wayne Snyman has recently qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
About a week ago in Slovenia, Snyman clocked a time of 1:20.59 and finished sixth in the 20km-race walk.
The Tuks athlete qualified a second faster than the Olympic Games standard qualification time 1:21.00.
As it stands, Snyman is the second Tuks athlete to qualify for the Tokyo Games.
“Pure gold” is how Snyman described it.
According to the Tuks athlete, he did not expect to be so fast.
“A few days before I raced, I was in bed due to stomach flu. It took its toll. Over the last five kilometres, I was low on energy,” he said.
One thing that excites Snyman is how consistent his performances have been over the last three years.
His worst placing was finishing sixth. In 2019, in the Czech Republic, he set a personal best time of 1:20.17 finishing second. Last year, he won a race in Ireland.
“The race in Dublin was one of my most challenging because of the cold, windy conditions. It was not like in Pretoria, where you might lose a cap. I literally battled to stay on track. On a few occasions, I was blown off the course. If it was not for the wind, my time would have been much faster.”
Snyman credited his coach Robert Heffernan for his newfound confidence.
“Heffernan has changed my approach to racing. In the past, I had a straightforward approach. I trained hard, raced hard and hoped for the best. It did not quite work out.
“The 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2019 Doha World Championships turned out to be terrible experiences. I now realise the importance of being mentally fit as well,” he said.
Quitting his job as a teacher was one of the most significant decisions the 36-year-old had to make.
“I realised that you can’t be internationally competitive if you need to work a full day and also train.
“From a financial perspective, there are times I wonder how wise a decision it was to quit.
“I owe a lot to my wife for continuous support. My recent results help a bit. When you finish in the top six or better, you do earn some money,” he said.
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