RACE WALKING
Wayne on his way to another SA title in 2019
Wayne
Considers 2-in-1
is on the World Cup in Oman in the first week of March , where I will be racing 20 kilometres .”
If his body allows it , Wayne Snyman might just do something that few South African race walkers have ever done : Compete at two events at a World Championships . – BY WILHELM DE SWARDT with SEAN FALCONER
For many years the two official distances raced by walkers at the World Champs and Olympics were 50km and 20km , and most race walkers competing at that level specialised in one of these distances , given that the 20km event is more about speed , whereas the 50km is more about endurance . However , in July , the World Championships meet in Eugene , Oregon in the USA will feature a different programme , with the 35km distance replacing the 50km . The 35km race walk is a new event introduced after World Athletics decided to do away with the 50km race as an Olympic and World Championship event .
With this change very much in mind , Athletics South Africa ( ASA ) held an inaugural ASA Race 35km Walking Championships in Cape Town in January , and the winner of the men ’ s race was Olympian and five-time SA Champion over 20km , Wayne Snyman . The 36-year-old Tuks-based athlete crossed the line in two hours , 32 minutes and 52 seconds , not only setting a new South African record , but also qualifying to compete at the World Championships in July . He already qualified last year for the 20km event as well .
The Possible Double
The 20km race at the World Championships is on 15 July , and the 35km is on 24 July . That means there are nine days to recover in between , and that is why Wayne might do both races . However , he says that nothing has been decided yet . “ The reality is that I am not getting younger . In March , I will be 37 , which means I have to carefully plan when and where I race . At the moment , my focus
Wayne ’ s personal best time over 20km is 1:20:17 , but he predicts that the racing in Oman is not going to be about fast times . “ I expect the conditions to be similar to that of the 2019 Doha World Championships – very hot and humid – which means you will have to race clever if you want to finish in the top ten or win . Even so , what is comforting to me is that it feels like there is still speed in my legs . Recently , I did a 10-kilometre time trial in which I surprised myself . Last year ’ s Tokyo Olympic Games had been a great confidence booster . I felt competitive , and I might have finished in the top 10 if it was not for one mistake .”
In Tokyo , Wayne finished 20th , clocking 1:24:33 to finish just under two minutes outside the top 10 positions . It was his best Olympic result , having finished 58th in the Rio Olympics in 2016 , and also compared favourably to his 38th place finish in the 2019 World Champs race in Doha , Qatar , and 39th place in the World Race Walking Champs in 2018 in Taicang , China . However , in 2018 he did finish higher on the world stage when he finished 14th in the Commonwealth Games 20km event in Gold Coast , Australia .
Time to Move On
In spite of his decent showing in a world class field in Tokyo , Wayne admits that he contemplated quitting athletics after the Olympics . He thought it was high time that he started to do some “ serious work ” in his ‘ day job ’ as a science teacher at Glenstantia Primary School in Pretoria . However , the ASA decision-makers convinced him to continue walking for another year . In fact , Wayne himself admits that he didn ’ t take much convincing to keep going and race in Eugene .
“ I always dreamt about finishing my career by winning a medal at a World Championships , and I think it is possible . I have found that with age , I am getting stronger , and 35 kilometres might be my best distance , in spite of the race in Cape Town during the National Championships certainly not being one of my best ,” says Wayne . “ I made mistakes , there was a stage where I thought I was ‘ dying ,’ a strong wind was genuinely taking its toll , and to worsen matters , my watch stopped working , which meant I had to walk ‘ blind ’ for a few kilometres .”
In contrast , Wayne does not think that he will compete at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games later this year . “ The Games start four days after the World Championships ... and I have responsibilities ,” he explains . Then again , if this is to be Wayne ’ s last year competing for his country , maybe he can be convinced to give it one more go …
The basis of this article was supplied by The Department of Sport ( TuksSport ) at the University of Pretoria . Tuks is home to some of the best sporting opportunities in the world , with more than 30 sport clubs . To find out more , go to www . up . ac . za / tukssport .
Images : Cecilia can Bers , Reg Caldecott , Roger Sedres / Image SA
46 ISSUE 149 | www . modernathlete . co . za