Clarence Munyai is one step closer to the realisation of a long-time dream after he finished second in his 200m heat during the IAAF World Championship in Doha running 20.29s.
The Tuks based athlete got beaten by Andre de Grasse who won a bronze medal in the 100m yesterday. The Canadian was clocked running 20.20s.
South Africa's Anaso Jobodwana is also through to the semifinals finishing third in his heat in a time of 20.35s. Adam Gemili (Britain) was the fastest in the heats running 20.06s.
Munyai is a man on a mission. By his own admission, he has ticked all but one box over the last four years. That is to win a medal at a major championship.
"When I predicted I was going to be fast, I was. When I talked about winning the South African senior 200m title, I did so. When I said I had my sights set on the South African record, I was not only making small talk. The one thing, however, I was not able to do yet is podium at an important championship.
"Running fast times is all good and well, but at the end of the day, any athlete is only remembered for his exploits at a World Championship or the Olympic Games. Nobody cares who ran the fastest times in April or any other month. It is the three athletes who will finish on the podium on Tuesday people who people will be talking about.
"For this reason, my only goal for this year is to try and medal at the World Championship. Everything that I have done in the buildup was to ensure that I am now at my best."
So far Munyai's best time for the season is the 20.04s he ran in Belgium. It currently ranks him as one of the 14th fastest 200m athletes in the world. His ultimate highlight was in 2018 when he set a new South African record clocking 19.69s at Tuks.
In 2016 when competing at Rio Olympic Games as an 18-year old Munyai could claim to be inexperienced when he did not progress past the heats. During the 2017 World Championship in London, he got disqualified in the heats for stepping on the line. It happens to the best in the world.
Last year's Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, however, was a huge disappointment. Munyai won his heat, was second in the semifinal but then ended up finishing fourth in the final. The Tuks based athlete admits to having no excuse.
"I did not execute a good race. It is as simple as that," said Munyai.
Tuks Akani Simbine ended up finishing fourth in Saturday's 100m final. Christian Coleman (USA) won in 9.76s. Justlin Gatlin (USA) was second in 9.89s and Andre de Grasse (Canada) third in 9.90s. Simbine clocked a season's best running 9.93s.
Tebogo Mamathu (Tuks) failed to qualify for the 100m women's semifinals running 11.42s in the heats. Lindsay Hanekom (Tuks) got eliminated in the 400m-hurdles heats running 51.71s.
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