Johannesburg - In a 'blitzkrieg' of 30 minutes Gift Leotlela (TuksSport High School) won the 100m as well as the 200m in Palafrugell, Spain, on Saturday.
The 18-year-old athlete won the 100m in 10.21 seconds, the same time he ran to win the South African junior title in Germiston.
His winning time is a stadium record. Thando Roto (Tuks/HPC) was third in 10.44. According to Hennie Kriel (Tuks/HPC coach), Leotlela chose not to race the 100 metres flat-out because the 200-final was scheduled for 30 minutes later.
Leotlela said he has made up his mind not to 'overthink' his races while he is competing internationally. He seems to manage doing so, because he won the 200 metres in 20.96 against a slight headwind.
Leotlela considers himself to be a sprinter with a good start, who is able to keep his top speed until the end in the 100 metres. “In the 200 metres I still battle to keep my top speed right up to the finish, but we will get there,” he said confidently.
Kriel has already made plans for athletes such as Leotlela, Clarence Munyai (SA senior and junior 200m champion), Malesela Senona (SA Youth 100m champion), Roto and Tebogo Mamathu to compete more in Europe.
“I think it is important for young athletes to get used to competing against senior athletes to gain experience,” said Kriel.
“As a coach I can teach an athlete to get off to a good start and I can help him with some of the finer sprinting techniques, but an athlete can only learn how to handle a race by actually competing.
“They will learn much quicker if they get the opportunity to race against stronger and more experienced athletes.” Senona won the 100m B-final in 10.87 and the 200m B-final in 21.25.
Mamathu won the women's 100m final in 11.52, which is a stadium record. Cornel Fredericks (Tuks/HPC) finished fifth on Saturday at the International Flanders Meeting in the 400-hurdles in a time of 50.62. Britain's William Rhys won in 49.22.
African News Agency