The fastest under-20 athlete in the world in the 100m hurdles is what Tumi Ramokgopa can boast, at least for now, after she won in Pilditch on Saturday in a time of 13.32 seconds.
The 18-year-old Tuks athlete's winning time is just 0.17 seconds slower than the South African record she set in Potchefstroom last September. In the past five years, only three local athletes - Marione Fourie, Taylon Bieldt and Antoinette van der Merwe - have been faster. The 13.15 seconds that Ramokgopa ran last year was one of the seven fastest times in the world in under-20 athletics.
Her coach, George Bradley, describes Ramokgopa as a natural competitor.
"Tumis is fearless, even for big-stage moments. She proved it last year in the 400 m hurdles final at the South African Senior Championships. Going into the straight racing against the Olympian, Zeney Geldenhuys, she went for the win. She finished second, more than a second faster than her previous best time. Her time of 55.90 seconds was one of the fastest in the under-20 athletics in the world in 2025."
If she needs to choose between the 100m and 400m hurdles, which would it be?
"Tumi is short in stature. That is a disadvantage, especially in the short hurdles. Despite a height disadvantage, she set a South African under-20 record in the 100 m hurdles last year. Tumi will compete in both events as long as she can. The short hurdles help her run the 400 m hurdles. I expect her to reach higher levels in the longer event as her career advances."
Tuks' athletes swept the senior women's 100m hurdles race. Roline Louw won in 13.73 seconds; Chane Kok second in 13.81 seconds, and Martelize Jordaan third in 13.91 seconds.
Tuks' Marlie Viljoen won her first 400m race of the season on Saturday in a time of 52.43 seconds. This is only 1.01 seconds slower than her fastest of 51.42 seconds last year.
The 18-year-old first-year Tuks student, Carise van Rooyen, won the under-20 800m race in 2:06.28. Van Rooyen is the South African under-20 champion. Ruben Visagie won the under-20 men's 800 metres in 1:51.44.
Another South African under-20 champion, Christe Loedolff, won the junior women's discus with 50.77 metres. The first-year Tuks student's best distance is 53.76 metres.
Tuks medical student, Colette Uys, remains South Africa's most versatile female field athlete. For the umpteenth time, she completed a hat-trick. She won the shot put with a distance of 16.95 metres, the discus with a distance of 52.00 metres and the hammer throw with 63.47 metres on Saturday.