The third Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) U18 and U20 Championships, held at MKO Abiola Stadium, Abeokuta, Nigeria, provided the perfect stage for South Africa’s emerging athletics talent. Three learners from Kwagga were among the best performers, with the combination of these three learners securing a combination of five medals and ensuring Team South Africa continued to stamp its authority on the continental stage.
Nicole Makes History with Javelin Gold
Nicole Barnard (18) was the start of the medals roll winning gold in the girls’ U20 javelin and became the one and only SA thrower to win gold in the SA Schools, SA Junior, SA Senior and the African Championships in the same year. When asked about her experience in Nigeria, she said: “I loved the hospitality. We felt so welcomed and so safe there. One thing I enjoyed about the SA team was our togetherness and support for each other.”
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Jayden and Walter Add to the Tally
Jayden Fourie (16) kept the medals coming with gold medals in the boys’ U18 long jump and the boys’ U18 medley relay and a silver in the U18 100m sprint events. He said he will have good memories of the friendships he made especially with the Namibian athletes he formed a special friendship with over the Afrikaans language. Jayden now set his eyes on the Youth Olympic Games which will take place in Dakar, Senegal in October 2026.
Walter van Rensburg (17) rounded off the golden trio’s exploits by taking gold in the boys’ U18 shot put.
Although there was a considerable delay in the final medal count due to technical problems with the event’s results management system, Team South Africa finished on top of the table, successfully defending their title from 2019 and 2023.
