Bayanda Walaza and rising hurdles star Tumi Ramokgopa stole the show on Wednesday night, with the sprint sensations setting new SA U20 records at the ASA Grand Prix 2 meeting at UJ Stadium in Johannesburg.
In the men's 200m race, world junior champion Walaza stopped the clock at 20.08 seconds, clipping 0.02 off the national U20 record of 20.10 set by Clarence Munyai in Tshwane in March 2017. He finished well clear of Lucky Moleyane who took second place in 20.36, while former World Championships finalist Luxolo Adams grabbed third spot in 20.43.
While the race was held in cold and wet conditions, Walaza was delighted with his performance, with the 19-year-old sprinter adding the 200m mark to the SA U20 100m record of 9.99 which he set at the Athletics Gauteng North Championships just four days earlier.
"The weather wasn't great, but I believe when you're fast you don't have to complain about anything," Walaza said afterwards. "You cannot control the weather so you just have to make it work for you, rather than doubting yourself.
"We were truly shocked about the sub-10 (last week) and we thought 'let's just see what strength I have left over'. We believed the 9.99 had taken everything, so we didn't expect me to run this fast today."
SEASON'S BEST
Even though she didn't win her race, 17-year-old Ramokgopa was also in record-breaking form, taking second place in the women's 100m hurdles race in 13.22 and slicing 0.13 off the SA junior record of 13.35 set by Taylon Bieldt in Bydgoszcz in July 2016. Up front, national senior record holder Marione Fourie took the win in 12.69, setting a season's best.
"I'm overwhelmed. I'm in disbelief," said Ramokgopa, who set a 400m hurdles personal best of 56.48 just hours earlier on Wednesday, in the Grand Prix pre-programme. "I knew running against Marione, was going to push me to run an SA record, but I didn't think I would run this fast. This means a lot to break the record in my first year as a junior."
OMANYALA VICTORIOUS
Among other highlights, world junior champion Udeme Okon won the men's 400m race in a personal best of 45.27, holding off a challenge from Olympic semifinalist Lythe Pillay, who took the runner-up spot in 45.74.
African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya won the men's 100m race in 10.08, while Ketlhobogile Haungura of Botswana took the 800m contest in 1:43.88.
The 20-year-old Wernich van Rensburg triumphed in the men's 400m hurdles race in 49.24, while Nikithemba Hani produced the highlight in the field events, landing at 8.01m to win the men's long jump.