By MARK LEMKE in Luanda
One hundred metres. 10 seconds. Don’t blink. The 100m sprint captivates audiences like no other. In Angola at the African Youth Games, Micah Africa took top spot on the podium for Team SA, and with it, athletics’ most sought after gold medal. The morning after winning with a time of 10.67 seconds, the blisteringly fast 16-year-old reflected on the feeling and what he has his sights set upon going forward.
“It started off really tough to stay focused and ready for the events, because we travelled to the complex very late so I was struggling to get enough sleep. I was expected to compete without rest, so I fought to get myself pumped up and ready, then they postponed it and I had to constantly readjust. It was not easy but it worked out in the end.”
The nature of the 100m sprint is brutal. You only have 10 seconds to win gold. There is no chance to hesitate and reactions must be instant. Africa dealt with late nights, confusing schedules and postponements, yet when the time came, he was ready.
“At first I was not sure if I had won because it was so close! I kept my cool and I didn’t celebrate straight away. When the final result came out I called my mother and I was going crazy in celebration over the phone. All the tough moments in the build up all worked out through God’s plan.”
The respectful and smiling sprinter now holds the medal that crowns him Africa’s fastest U16. “My usual plan is to race against my own times, but at first I looked around the field at my opponents and thought that they are a lot faster than I expected. It took some effort, but I managed to bring myself back to my own lane and focus on my own sprint. It is an amazing feeling to know it all worked out.”
South Africa’s depth of sprinters has grown massively in recent years and Africa is proving that there are more top talents rising. Although he has the work ethic, dedication, and ability to reach the highest level, Africa has no interest in applying such pressure to himself.
“Of course I have goals, like I would love to compete at next year’s Youth Olympics and my main goal is the 2028 Olympics in LA, but I don’t put pressure on myself to achieve those. I just like keeping my head down, working hard and trusting in the plans God has for me.”
The flashy star connotations attached to sprinting events can lead to some of the most talented or promising runners losing their way and becoming flashes in the pan. Africa seems different. The gold medal has evoked appreciation and an eagerness to get back to work within Africa. The African Youth Games have unearthed many of Team SA’s biggest stars and Africa has shown that he has the makings of a future champion, both as a person and as an athlete – because he is very, very quick.
Photo: Frennie Shivambu
