The dominance of Athletics Gauteng North (AGN) athletes on the national stage, as demonstrated at both the junior and senior national championships earlier this year, was also reflected in the final South African team announced last week to represent the country at the World Athletics u.20 Championships in America.

Athletics South Africa (ASA) has named a 51-member final national team for this championships, to be held in Eugene, Oregon, USA, between 5-9 August.

A total of 23 of the 51 athletes in the team are from Pretoria. Some are still scholars at various schools in Pretoria, while others are affiliated with tertiary institutions in the city.

Due to injuries and other reasons some changes have been made to the provisional squad announced by the national federation in May. The very promising long jumper, Levi Fick, who is currently among the top five juniors in the world, is one of the athletes who was not previously part of the provisional squad, but was included in the final team.

The SA team will be confident of putting up a fight against the world’s top junior athletes once again, after South Africa finished sixth in Peru two years ago.

The local athletes from AGN who will represent their country in America are: Mukona Smiley Manavhela (Curro Hazeldean, 100m/200m/relay); Emile Els (Affies, 800m); Tiisetso Malungane (Curro Hazeldean, 1500m); Matodzi Ndou (Curro Hazeldean, 400mH/relay); Lesibe Dikgale (Tuks, 400mH); Njabulo Hlatshwayo (TUT, 5000m); Siyabonga Mbeleki (Curro Hazeldean, 3000m steeplechase); Levi Fick (long jump); Dewald Bezuidenhout (Affies, shot put); Jaco van Dyk (Die Hoërskool Menlopark, shot put); Joshua Gerber (Die Hoërskool Menlopark, discus); Zattu Hlongwane (Tuks 4x100m relay), Ryno Riekert (4x400m relay); Christi Loggenberg (AHMP, 400m/relay); Carise van Rooyen (Tuks, 800m); Tumi Ramokgopa (Tuks, 100mH, 400m/relay); Megan Nieman (Die Hoërskool Menlopark, 100mH, 400m/relay); Johanné Lamprecht (Hoërskool Montana, shot put); Fortune Cletus-Okolo (Hoërskool Waterkloof, shot put); Christe Loedolff (Tuks, discus); Chrystabel Davis (Hoërskool Waterkloof (4x400m relay); Isabella Gunter (Hoërskool Montana, 4x400m relay) and Zante van der Merwe (Tuks, 4x400m relay).

At the previous World Athletics u.20 Championships held in Lima, Peru in 2024, South Africa won a total of seven medals. This included three gold, two silver and two bronze medals. On that occasion, athletes from Pretoria also dominated the composition of the South African team, as well as the medals won.

South Africa’s biggest star at the 2024 championships was Bayanda Walaza, who was a matriculant at Curro Hazeldean School at the time. He won both the 100m and 200m sprint events for a total of two gold medals.

Njabulo Mbatha, who was affiliated with the TuksSport High School, was part of the 4x400m relay team that won one of South Africa’s silver medals, while another TuksSport High School student, Bradley Nkoana, won the bronze medal in the men’s 100m race.

Tuks student and former pupil of the Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria, Hannah van Niekerk, won the bronze medal in the 400m hurdles in 2024 in Peru.

With the large number of athletes in the South African team originating from Pretoria, as well as the international profile of the local athletes in mind, it can be expected that these young stars from the capital city will once again make the country proud with the medals they will hopefully bring home.

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