Matodzi Ndou’s star shone the brightest on the day when Curro Hazeldean announced themselves as a coming force in school athletics.
Ndou was one of over 2 000 athletes representing 55 schools that descended on the Pilditch Athletics Stadium in Tshwane on Wednesday to compete at the Curro Podium North Athletics Meet vying to be one of just 40 schools that will make the cut to take part in the Curro Grand Finale next February.
As Curro Hazeldean’s Olympic silver medalist Bayanda Walaza watched from the stands, the 17-year-old Curro Hazeldean Grade 11 learner delivered a performance to remember as he defeated Tukssport High School’s Phenyo Myen to win the Boys U17 110m hurdles in 12.94, which was a new South African record. Ndou's time is not only the third fastest time ever run by a 17-year-old boy on planet Earth, but also the world-leading time for 2024.
“It feels great. It’s something that I’ve been planning, but I wasn’t really sure if I was going to run this fast. I’m still processing it all. It’s really amazing to run here with some of the best athletes,” said Ndou reflecting on a run that saw him become South Africa’s very first U17 Boy to dip under thirteen seconds for the event.
For his superlative efforts, Ndou was named best Senior Boys Track athlete of the meet for the second consecutive year - an accolade which was no doubt topped by the fact that his display also led the Curro Hazeldean Boys team to a maiden victory in the boys section after taking second place in 2023. While praising the efforts of the group, Curro Sport Portfolio Manager, Cindy Van der Merwe emphasised the broader role that Curro Podium meetings play in unearthing the next generation of Olympians.
“What we have in mind when it comes to Curro Podium is to give athletes the opportunity to be exposed to a next level event. We see the bigger picture. We are already looking for the future Bayanda in Matodzi. And it would make our hearts warm if, at the next Olympics in Los Angeles, we have four to six athletes representing South Africa that ran at our Podiums.”
Two of those #LA2028 Olympians will surely be Tukssport High School’s Selena Rocha who produced a scorching 11.69 in the Girls 17 100m and 23.92 in the Girls 17 200m to win the Best Senior Girls Track Athlete. Hencu Lamberts also had a good day. The Afrikaans Hoër Seuns thrower who represented the country at the recent World Athletics U20 Championships in Peru, won the shotput in 18.40 and claimed second place in the discus (50.55) to finish the competition as the Best Senior Field Athlete. The overall competition was won by Die Hoërskool Menlopark who placed third in both the girls and boys section, earning enough points to defend their title.
The next leg of the Curro Podium Athletics competition will take place in the south of the country, at Dal Josaphat Stadium in Paarl, Western Cape on October 19, 2024, followed by the Grand Finale in February 2025.