While the IAAF’s athletics senior world champions started with a top SA athletes competing in Oregon in Eugene Oregon in the US on Friday, the junior athletes will also be in action when the world Under-20 championships get under way in Cali, Colombia in South America in August.
According to Athletics South Africa media department, South Africa will be represented by a 47-man and women strong team at the junior championships starting on August 2 to 7.
Among the top junior athletes in the team is Mine de Klerk and Benjamin Richardson, who will have the rare opportunity to earn medals at two editions of the World Athletics Under-20 Championships.
De Klerk, who won gold in the shot-put and silver in the discus throw at 2021’s junior showpiece in Nairobi, will compete in both events again in Cali.
Richardson, who earned 100m silver and led the SA 4x100m relay team to a gold medal and a world record in Nairobi, will turn out in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m events in Cali.
The SA team, which includes 25 men and 22 women, features some of the country’s most exciting young prospects in a range of track and field disciplines.
Among them are the likes of sprint sensations Viwe Jingqi and Precious Molepo, rising high-jump star Brian Raats and 110m hurdler Emel Keyser.
The six-day World U20 Championships will be held at the Estadio Olimpico Pascual Guerrero.
Having finished sixth in the overall final standings at last year’s age group spectacle with nine medals (three gold, two silver and four bronze), the national squad will again be looking to make an impact against the world’s top junior athletes.
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