A very busy weekend lies ahead of Carina Horn (Tuks/HPC).  To race 100 metres in two different countries within 24 hours is certainly a tough challenge, but Horn is looking forward to it.
“I really wanted an opportunity to race again after the Olympic Games and now I am being spoiled with two opportunities.  I guess I have nothing to complain about.”

Horn will start her ‘blitzkrieg’ on Friday night when she lines up to race the 100 metres at the Memorial Van Damme Diamond League meeting in Brussels. On Saturday afternoon, just after 14:00, she will compete in a 100 metre street race in Newcastle, England.

She expects the Brussels race to be a hasty affair because both Elaine Thompson, Jamaica’s Olympic champion in the 100 m and 200 m, and Netherland’s Dafne Schippers, who won the silver medal in the
200 m in Rio, will be competing.

The Tuks/HPC athlete, who qualified for the semi-finals at the Games, is moderately satisfied with the way her season played out. “To be honest, I did not achieve all the goals I had set myself but I have only myself to blame. I allowed myself to be side-tracked by issues over which I had no control.  It was a big mistake and something I will have to work on. The European weather certainly did not make things easy for us sprinters. We were often challenged by headwinds which were not conducive to running fast times.

“It is actually interesting to note how one’s view of what is a ‘good race’ keeps changing. Last year, when I ran 11.06 s to equal Evette de Klerk’s long-standing South African record in the 100 metres, I was over the moon. It was definitely one the greatest races I ever ran. This year at the African Championships in Durban I ran 11.07 s, which I guess is not a bad time, but somehow I did not get as excited. It may be because I am in a constant quest to run faster and faster times. What is good today is not necessarily good tomorrow.

Horn is excited about the way she has managed to consistently get off to a good start in her races this season. 

“It is something I have really worked on and I think I have mastered it. The challenge now is to work on the next phase of my race, which will be to run faster between 20 and 40 metres. At the moment that is where I tend to lose out.”   According to Horn she still has no plans to compete in the 200 metres.  “It is important to totally master running a good 100 metres race before I start competing in the longer sprint. I don’t want to end up being a ‘Jack of all trades and master of none.’” 

Wenda Nel (400-hurdles) and Luvo Manyonga (long jump) are the other two Tuks/HPC athletes who will compete in Brussels on Friday.