Tuks coach Jaun Strydom, who died suddenly a day before some of his athletes were to compete in the season’s first ASA Grand Prix event in Pretoria, will leave a massive void in South African athletics.

“It is a great sadness for our sport. We were all shocked to hear Jaun had died. It happened way too soon. Athletics still needed him,” said Nico van Heerden, a long-time friend and fellow coach at TuksAthletics.

Athletes and coaches paid their last respects to Strydom during a memorial service in Pretoria last week.

According to Hugo Badenhorst, Strydom was the best 100-meter and 110-meter hurdles coach in South Africa.

“He was an exceptionally well-read and knowledgeable coach who made hurdles coaching and speed development his speciality. Jaun had a unique ability to convey information to his athletes and those who attended our coaching courses. He rarely failed to improve athletes’ technique,” said Badenhorst

Performances of the South African record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, Marione Fourie, over the past three years are a testament to Strydom’s knowledge and skill. The 12.69 seconds with which she won the short hurdles at the second grand Prix event in Johannesburg last week is currently the fastest in the world.

Over the past three years, Fourie has been ranked as one of the 20 fastest female athletes in the 100m hurdles in the world. Last year, she broke the South African record to 12.49 seconds. Earlier this year, she broke the South African indoor record to 7.91 seconds.

Fourie was due to compete in the World Indoor Championships in China last week, but withdrew because she wanted to pay her final respects to her coach at his funeral. According to Fourie, Strydom was like a father to her.

Badenhorst describes Strydom as a man with an interestingly complex personality.

“Juan was an outspoken person who shot from the hip and was never afraid to speak his mind. His opinions were always well thought through. He would express them without any fear or reservation to whoever he was talking to, regardless of that person’s status or stature. He was not the kind of person who would criticize or discuss you behind your back. He would look you in the eye and say what he wanted without fear or reservation. This made him a valued and generally respected person,” Badenhorst remarked.

According to Van Heerden, Strydom went out of his way to make things happen for his athletes.

“I met him two years ago in Italy. He and four of his athletes travelled in a small car from one event to another. He was not only the coach but also the agent who constantly negotiated with event organizers so that his athletes could participate,” Van Heerden said.

Strydom was a hurdler at school, but said during an interview last year that he actually did better as a judoka. He earned provincial colours in this sport, but later took up coaching when his younger brother decided to be a hurdler. He fell in love with athletics and hurdles as such and then went from strength to strength as a coach.

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