Pretoria’s most promising junior athletes led the charge, as the national team dominated the podium at the recent AUSC Region 5 Games in Luanda, Angola.

The SA athletics squad earned a total of 43 medals (22 gold, nine silver and 12 bronze), including three silver and three bronze in para-athletics events during the four-day track and field competition at the Southern Region multi-sport showpiece.

Among the top performers were two local girls. The star performer, Marli Viljoen, will this year be in Grade 11 in Hoërskool Menlo Park. Another gold medal winner, Renate van Tonder, was a matric learner last year at the same school.

Sprinter Viljoen took home four medals. She stormed to 200m gold in 25.48 seconds and 400m silver in 56.04, and formed part of the 4x100m (50.00) and 4x400m (3:51:29) relay quartets who won their respective finals.

Van Tonder took the win in the Women’s Long Jump, with a best leap of 5.50m, and Triple Jump (12.26m), and she played a key role in the short-sprint relay team.

Among the men, speedster Malesela Senona from the Tuks Sport School won the 100m (10.48) and 200m (21.33) double, and anchored the 4x100m relay quartet to bronze in 42.05.

Silusapho Dingiswayo, also from the Tuks Sport School, stepped on the podium on three occasions, winning the Men’s 110m Hurdles final in 14.81 before forming part of the 4x400m relay squad, who finished second in 3:17:72, and the third-placed 4x100m team.

“This is a perfect example of what we send out teams to fight for. It’s a wonderful performance from athletes who put their country first and anchored Team South Africa. Congratulations to all these young athletes on their excellent results,” said Athletics South Africa President, Aleck Skhosana.

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