Talented but yet to fulfil his real potential is how the South African race-walking champion, Wayne Snyman, is being described, but Sunday at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games that might change. 

The Tuks race-walker himself feels it is high time that he gets his act together during an important race. Snyman even told his wife that thinking about maybe getting a top ten finish is not good enough anymore.

“I am going to race for a top-three finish. I am realistic the racing is going to be hard. However, the one thing I am proud of as a race walker is that I can mix it up with the best. I proved it last year during the international four-day race walking event in China. I ended up in the eight overall place after being 18th after day one.

“What will count in my favour on Sunday is that I will be one of the low profile athletes in the race. It means that I won’t be marked by the favourites so I can focus on my race plan. I plan to be with the leaders from the start. Then it will be a case of digging deep and forgetting about the pain.

 “The truth of the matter is that race walking can be very unpredictable especially due to the strict rules of technique. Many of us have a story to tell of how we thought we had walked the perfect race only to get disqualified in the last kilometre. On a good day, anyone has a chance to win. This I promise whoever wants to beat me will have his work cut out. I got a feeling that something special can happen,” said Snyman whose personal best time is 1:20:46.

According to Snyman, the most important thing he learned through his participation at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio was that more not necessarily better. He claims he overtrained in the build-up to the Games.

Snyman got started as a race walker due to dare while still at school. 

“I accepted a dare to compete in a 3 000 metre race walk. I won and set a new record. When a coach told me afterwards that I was born to be a race walker, I decided to give it a go.”