Schools Athletics will form the bedrock of the athletics revolution in the country with the launch of the Track+Field Series in Johannesburg on 25 July. SuperSport, Athletics South Africa and SA Schools Athletics are leading the charge as they embark on a mission to find the number one athletics school in the country.
Track+Field is a knockout series involving the best high school athletes from all corners of the country in pursuit of being crowned the number one athletics high school in South Africa. The launch of the thrilling series is part of an exciting global revival of track and field, which is the flagship sport at the Olympic Games.
The announcement follows other innovations such as American legend Michael Johnson’s “Grand Slam Track” league starting in 2025 and the women’s only Athlos track showpiece set to make its debut in September this year. While these global events are focused on the elite athletes of the sport, the Track+Field series will tap into the riches of South Africa's rising teenage stars.
The series, which is open to all high schools across the country, is geared to unearth the country’s future global superstars by providing high schools with a platform to compete against the best. The best schools from the nine regional events will compete in the Grand Final for the Track+Field crown.
Boys and girls at Under-15, -17 and -19 levels will get to add to their school’s success as every point counts towards crowning the regional and overall Track+Field champions.“Athletics is one of the most popular school sports in South Africa, both from a participation and supporter’s perspective,” said SuperSport CEO Rendani Ramovha.
'PROUD HISTORY'
"South Africa has a proud history of producing medals at global events at an age-group level and we believe the Track+Field Series will help in building champions." Highlighting the country’s prowess in the sport at an age-group level, South Africa finished on the medal table at the recent 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships with two gold, one silver, and two bronze.
These athletes were all products of South Africa’s school system. All four podium finishers –gold medallists Lythe Pillay and Mine de Klerk, Benjamin Richardson and Brian Raats – have been selected to represent South Africa at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
"Reaching the Olympic Games is a testament to the talent that we have in South Africa,” said James Moloi, President of Athletics South Africa “School sports plays a critical part in promoting social cohesion and instilling a love for health and fitness."
“Our aim with Track+Field Series is to provide more rising youngsters with the opportunity to showcase their talents and produce the next generation of Olympians,” said Mathew Quinn, Olympian, former SA sprint champion and Track+Field co-founder