Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 130, May 2020 | Page 50

TRACK & FIELD
does not see it as being
‘Jack of all trades
and master of none,’
however. “I don’t
want to specialise my
training at this stage, as
it will take the fun out
of athletics. I enjoy the
challenge to diversify.”
Antoinette remains upbeat about things. “Putting one’s athletics dreams on hold
is a small price to pay. There will be plenty of opportunities to race later on. At
least I have the satisfaction of having clocked a personal best time. For that, I am
grateful.”
Antoinette admits it has been challenging trying to keep her form during the
lockdown. “Luckily, Coach Wimpie has been proactive. I got a programme giving
me guidelines as to how to keep fit in the pool, on a training bike and in the garden.
The lockdown might yet turn out to be a blessing in disguise as I am expected to
do a lot of strength exercises, which I usually would have neglected.”
When she does step back on the track, Antoinette says her goal will be to run
11.30 or faster, with 11.20 a realistic goal. This year her focus has been on the
100m and 100m hurdles, but her coach says it is way too early to predict how
her career will play out. “For the next three years, it is crucial to ensure Antoinette
continues to be faster. In the end, however, she might turn out to be a 200m or
400m athlete. She might even consider taking up the 400m hurdles challenge.”
Waiting for His Chance
Phatitshedzo
Maswanganyi
Another youngster dealing
with disappointment
due to the COVID-19
pandemic is 19-yearold
Phatitshedzo
Maswanganyi, who
can already claim to be
one of the fastest ever
athletes in South Africa.
In March he clocked
10.06 in the 100 metres
during the Gauteng North
Championships, setting a
new South African junior
record and becoming the
first South African junior
athlete (under-20) to dip
under 10.10. Not even
current South African
record holder, Akani
Simbine, could do that
when he was 19.
Provided the pandemic
allows it, the Tuks athlete is
due to enrol at Houston University
in the USA later this year, where he
will be coached by US sprinting legends,
Carl Lewis and Leroy Burrell, both of whom set
World Records and won Olympic and World Champs medals in their careers.
Uncertainty is the Enemy
Getting back to the coaching side of the sport, one of South Africa’s foremost
athletics coaches admits to being uncertain as to what to do in light of the
coronavirus outbreak lockdown. Werner Prinsloo, who coaches Akani, says this is
because indications are that it could be a considerable time before any athlete is
allowed back on the track to train or compete. “It creates a unique challenge, and
not knowing is any athlete or coach’s worst enemy”.
According to the Tuks-based coach, the Coronavirus outbreak caught the whole
international sports community off-guard. “None of us saw it coming. The reality
of sport is that some athletes might not ever find the same form again. It is even
going to be a challenge for Akani and me. Judging by his performance during the
Gauteng North Championships, where he ran 9.91 in the heats, we were on track
for a good season. However, it does not help to ponder on what could have been.”
“As things stand, I don’t believe there is any chance of any international athletics
meetings taking place before August. Many events have already been cancelled,
and it stands to reason that World Athletics might consider to postpone or cancel
the Diamond League Meetings in Oslo on 11 June, Paris on 13 June, London
on 4 July, and Monaco on 10 July. They have already done so with the first five
meetings,” he says.
Werner says he has been making the most of lockdown by trying to catch up
on his research, specifically trying to find ways to gain Akani those extra few
hundredths of a second over 100 metres. Experience has taught him it is all about
marginal gains... but the unsure status of the season is not helping. “The question
is whether the athletes should continue to hope of maybe competing sometime
after May, or even July. It boils down to them in the meanwhile needing to try find
innovative ways to keep fit,” he says.
“Another option would be to call it a day and instead start to refocus on next year’s
Tokyo Olympic Games, but the risk of a too-long ‘winter programme’ is that an
athlete might lose focus and motivation. An athlete’s reward for long hours spent
training is competition, and they need to run at least one good race to realise what
is expected from them during practice workouts.”
Furthermore,
Phatitshedzo’s time of
10.06 is only 0.01 seconds outside the Olympic qualification standard, but any
hopes he had of going on to qualify for Tokyo this year have been put on hold due
to the worldwide coronavirus outbreak. He admits to being slightly frustrated, but
then hastily adds, “It is quite tough. Luckily I am young, so there is still next year.”
And he is not one to hold back on his dreams. “Next year, I want to compete at the
Olympic Games, and not only to gain experience. I want to run a sub-10-seconds
race, and if not, I must know I have done the best I could. All that matters is to
push yourself to the limit.”
Phatitshedzo is actually quite versatile. During the Gauteng North Championships,
he clocked 20.50 in the 200m, and he is not ruling out testing himself against the
stopwatch over 400m. Also, next year he is aiming to also start long jumping. He
Akani Simbine & Werner Prinsloo
Images: Reg Caldecott
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ISSUE 130 MAY 2020 / www.modernathlete.co.za