If the wind cooperates Zokwakhana Zazini, Clarence Munyai and Tlotliso Leotlela might run world class times from tomorrow at the South African Junior and Youth Championships which will be taking place at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town.

Between the three athletes they have already set a World Youth record and two South African junior records. The “three musketeers” of TuksAthletics make it no secret that they are capable of running even faster times. They actually look forward to challenging the stopwatch at every race.

A definite highlight might be Saturday’s duel between Munyai and Leotlela in the 200 metre-final.

Earlier this season Munyai ran 20.10s to set a new South African junior record in the 200 metres. His time is one of the fifth fastest by a junior athlete. At last week’s Varsity Athletics Meeting in Pretoria he ran a time of 20.25s. However, the Grade 12-learner from TuksSport High School has his mind set on running much faster. He hopes to make sprinting history.

“One of my biggest goals this year is to become the second junior athlete to break sub 20 seconds in the 200m. Usain Bolt is the only athlete who was been able to do so. He ran times of 19.93s and 19.99s as a junior athlete.

“Physically I feel ready to run a sub 20 seconds race.  I just need to get my focus in check before I race. The biggest mistake that I could make is to think that it will be easy to defend my junior title. Tlotliso will also run and he never races to finish second. Through experience I have learned to never underestimate anyone.  At any national championships event there is always an athlete who surprises everyone by running the race of his life. So no victory is secured until you cross the finish line,” said Munyai.

Leotlela who ran 10.12s in the 100 metres to set a new South African junior record has decided not to defend his South African junior title in the 100 metres and opted has just to compete in the 200 metres only.

“Gift decided he would rather race the 100 metres at the South African Senior Championships in Potchefstroom taking place in two weeks’ time. He is also planning to compete in the 200 metres which means that if everything goes according to plan he might contest six races in two days. So it is important that he does not over race before the senior championships,” explained Kriel who coaches both Leotlela and Munyai.

Many tend to think of Leotlela as a 100 metre specialist but that is not true. His best time in the longer sprint is 20.47s. The TuksAthletics athlete waits for the special moment. He proved it last year when he won a silver medal in the 200 metres at the World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Zazini set a new world youth record in the 400m-hurdles during the Gauteng North Championships running a time of 48.84s. Last week at the South African Schools Championships he won the 400 metres in a time of 46.20s which would have placed him fifth on the 2016 SA senior rankings.

The TuksSport High School Grade 11-learner relishes a tough challenge so he makes it no secret that he wants to win the 400m-hurdles as well as the 400 metres in Cape Town. At last year’s championships he won the 400 metres and placed second in the 400m-hurdles. What made his performance remarkable was the fact that he had to race the two finals within 60 minutes.

One of the goals Zazini has set himself is to try and remain unbeaten in South Africa. So far he was won 10 races (400m-hurdles and 400m) on the trot. His main goal is to win a medal at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Nairobi.

Tlotliso (Gift) Leotlela	Clarence Munyai	Zokwakhana Zazini

 Photo Credit: Reg Caldecott