With about seven global competitions set to take place this year, there are plenty of things to get excited about, and South African 400m star Lythe Pillay says he has a point to prove and is targeting a medal.
Pillay will set the tone for himself at the World Athletics Relays in Botswana’s capital, Gaborone, at the beginning of May, with the immediate target of securing as many points as possible, as it is an important qualifying event for next year’s World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
South Africa is already the world champions in relay running and clinched bronze in the 400m, and Pillay was at the heart of it all in Tokyo.
The 23-year-old did, however, have a long year dealing with multiple injury setbacks and feels this is the year he will prove to the world what he is capable of, with a Commonwealth Games medal as the target.
“I do feel like I was robbed of the time to really see what I can do last year [due to injury], but I am truly blessed and grateful I was able to tie things up at the World Champs in the relay.
“But I know that I can do more, and there are big changes ahead, and I feel like I have an exciting three months coming where I can tie things together and put the pieces together to show the world what I really am capable of. I have a point to prove this year.”
Pillay also finds himself in somewhat of a position of pressure, where he has been, in recent years, touted as the prodigy of Olympic Champion Wayde Van Niekerk from a young age.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say that the more dividing the limelight between us [Van Niekerk] has made the pressure easier, but I have had a shift in perspective,” he said.
“I think I got very used to being the young junior punting up against the seniors, and I was pretty much … if I run against Zak [Zakithi Nene] or Gardeo [Isaacs], even if they beat me, I have nothing to lose.
“So, my role has changed in the sport. I think I’ve become more of a middle child now, and I am almost an ‘old topi’ (old man}. I’m racing guys like Wayde, Zak, who are still pushing their prime, and then we have young talents like Udeme [Okon] and Leendert [Koekemoer] coming up.
“So, I do think I have transitioned well in terms of how I approach the sport scene that I serve both the role as a bigger and a little younger brother, and not only am I chasing, I’m also being chased. I wouldn’t say the pressure has changed, but I think I’ve had to change my approach and my perspective on the sport to navigate through the pressure,” he added.
