Golden trio bags 5 Africa medals

GEORE SPORT - Three Kwagga learners, Nicole Barnard (18), Jayden Fourie (16) and Walter van Rensburg (17), secured five medals at the third biennial Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) U18 and U20 Championships in Nigeria.

Held at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta from 16 to 20 July, this continental meet hosted the cream of the continent’s U18 and U20 track and field talent.

By clinching the girls’ U20 javelin gold medal at this meet, Nicole became the first South African thrower ever to win gold at the SA Schools, SA Junior, SA Senior and African Championships in the same calendar year.

“Competing in Nigeria was a whole new experience,” a tired but happy Nicole told George Herald after a very long flight back from West Africa.

She was surprised at how pleasant and accommodating the locals were and how safe they felt in the country. She said everywhere they went, people took selfies with them. Nicole also commented on the great team spirit among the South African squad, with the team members backing one another when competing.

Jayden, who won gold medals in the boys’ U18 long jump and medley relay and silver in the boys’ U18 100m, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the number of new friends he had made. He was also stoked to be able to speak Afrikaans to the Namibian athletes and found a special bond there. Jayden’s focus now shifts to the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, scheduled for October next year.

Completing the golden trio is Walter, who out-put his rivals to scoop the boys’ U18 shotput gold medal.

Jayden Fourie finishes second in the boys’ U18 100m. Photo: Facebook/ASA

At the conclusion of the event, Team South Africa topped the medal table, successfully defending the championship title for the second time. They also won the previous two championships in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in 2019 and Ndola, Zambia, in 2023.

Unfortunately the final medal count and results weren't available at the time of publication. This as Timetronics, the company who captured the results reportedly experienced 'n series of crashes of their electronic system. Consequently, results from CAA under the local organising committee have been inconsistent and will first have to be officially declared by CAA before they can be made public.

Nicole Barnard and Jayden Fourie with their coaches, Rudo Klopper (left) and Johnny Fourie (right), who came to congratulate them when they landed at George Airport on Wednesday morning. Photo: Jacqueline Herbst

Nicole Barnard and Jayden Fourie with Carly Buitendag, Gerhan Pretorius and Marco Lesch, who welcomed the two athletes home at George Airport on Wednesday morning. Photo: Jacqueline Herbst